Matthias Utters
Matthias Utters (born July 9, 1934 in Dockweiler as Josef Utters ; † September 19, 1986 in Hermeskeil ) was a German Franciscan .
Life
Josef Utters entered the Cologne Province of the Franciscan Order shortly after graduating from high school on April 12, 1956 and was given the name Matthias. After theological studies in Mönchengladbach , he was ordained a priest on April 13, 1962 . He then studied psychology and medicine. He was particularly active in the pastoral care of priests and sisters, as a leader of retreats for various groups and as a psychotherapist in daily pastoral counseling. He was guardian of the Franciscan monastery in Hermeskeil and commissioner for spiritual services. In 1977 he founded the Johannes Chrysostom Choir at the Franciscan parish of St. Matthias in Euskirchen , because he was “drawn to expressions of Eastern Church piety”.
His life was marked by severe ailments, he suffered from retinal detachment and cancer, which was treated with radiation and chemotherapy. His left arm had to be surgically removed. He had to undergo a total of 29 operations and had to wear a support corset in his final years . He was also hard of hearing.
He described his suffering as "learning suffering": Blindness taught him to feel people from within; The hearing loss also forced him to accept life, to ask graciously and not to blame the others.
He was also involved in the mission and, shortly before his death in May 1986, made another trip to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Brazil. He celebrated his last service on September 14, 1986.
Many of his prayers and meditations were published in book form, and some of his speeches were also distributed on compact cassettes .
Works
- Joy from God. Verlag Positives Leben, 1983. ISBN 3-925868-51-8 (3rd edition, 1987)
- On the banks. Verlag Positives Leben, 1984. ISBN 3-925868-51-8 (3rd edition, 1987)
- Your gifts. Verlag Positives Leben, 1985. ISBN 3-925868-53-4
- Give us the love of your son. Verlag Positives Leben, 1985. ISBN 3-925868-55-0
- Faithfulness always causes suffering. Verlag Positives Leben, 1985. ISBN 3-925868-54-2
- "But the greatest thing is love!" Verlag Positives Leben, 1987. ISBN 3-925868-52-6 (2nd edition, 1987)
- Yesterday's love is no longer enough today. Verlag Positives Leben, 1987. ISBN 3-925868-57-7
- Meditations in the church year. Thoughts on the church feast days. Verlag Positives Leben, 1987. ISBN 3-925868-58-5
- Morning devotions. Verlag Positives Leben, 1987. ISBN 978-3-925868-59-7
- Against melancholy: How do we deal sensibly with depression? Verlag Positives Leben, 1987. ISBN 3-925868-60-7
- Virtue or grace? Verlag Positives Leben, 1988. ISBN 3-925868-61-5
literature
- Ekkart Sauser : Utters, Matthias. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 19, Bautz, Nordhausen 2001, ISBN 3-88309-089-1 , Sp. 1461-1462.
- Herbert Schneider : Heaven is here. The wonderful person Matthias Utters . 2nd Edition. Johannes-Verlag, Leutesdorf 1997. ISBN 3-7794-1394-9
Web links
- Literature by and about Matthias Utters in the catalog of the German National Library
- Article by Herbert Schneider OFM in the Heimatjahrbuch Daun 1988
swell
- ↑ Stadtpfarrei St. Martin Euskirchen ( Memento of the original dated August 7, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Utters, Matthias |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Utters, Josef (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German Franciscan |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 9, 1934 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dockweiler , Rhineland-Palatinate |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 19, 1986 |
| Place of death | Hermeskeil , Rhineland-Palatinate |