Rudolf Schmid (Bishop)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Altar consecration in Dinkelshausen with Auxiliary Bishop Rudolf Schmid

Rudolf Schmid (born June 26, 1914 in Schiers , Switzerland ; † June 24, 2012 in Augsburg ) was auxiliary bishop in the diocese of Augsburg .

Life

Schmid was born in 1914 as the first of four children of German parents in Schiers in Graubünden, Switzerland. In 1915 the family returned to Augsburg. After graduating from high school in St. Stephan in Augsburg in 1933, Schmid studied philosophy in Augsburg and at the Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen , where he became a member of the Scientific Catholic Student Association Unitas Markomannia in the summer semester of 1933 , as well as Catholic theology in the seminary of the Philosophical-Theological University Dillingen . On February 27, 1938 he was ordained a deacon and on June 26, 1938 he was ordained a priest in Dillingen an der Donau . He initially worked as a chaplain in Murnau . In 1939 he was appointed prefect of the St. Stanislaus boys' seminary in Dillingen - a position he was unable to take on, however, as the seminary was converted into a hospital at the beginning of the war. Schmid was drafted into the Wehrmacht at the end of 1939 . As a sergeant in a medical unit, he took part in campaigns in France, Poland, Yugoslavia, Hungary and Russia. He was wounded in late 1944 and spent the remainder of the war in a hospital. He became a prisoner of war in the United States and was released in the summer of 1945.

In 1945 he worked as a chaplain in St. Peter and Paul in Augsburg-Oberhausen, together with a second, young chaplain, Josef Stimpfle , who later became the bishop of Augsburg. From 1949 on, Rudolf Schmid worked in school, most recently as a professor. In 1963 he became the regens of the Dillinger seminary.

He became cathedral capitular in Augsburg in 1969 and was responsible for the priests and candidates for priesthood and thus for the episcopal seminars in the diocese and the diocesan professions of the church . On January 3, 1972 he was appointed by Pope Paul VI. appointed titular bishop of Dionysiana and auxiliary bishop in the diocese of Augsburg. The bishop of Augsburg, Josef Stimpfle, donated him his episcopal ordination on March 25, 1972; Co- consecrators were the Bishop of Passau Antonius Hofmann , the Bishop of Regensburg Rudolf Graber , the Apostolic Exarch for Catholic Ukrainians of the Byzantine Rite in Germany and Scandinavia Platon Kornyljak and the Curia Bishop Antanas Louis Deksnys . His motto as bishop is "Benedictus deus" ("God be praised") according to his Benedictine coinage.

Rudolf Schmid, a member of the Caritas Board of Directors since the mid-1960s, was also responsible for Caritas and social affairs as episcopal vicar since his episcopal ordination . In addition to his retirement , he was chairman of the Caritas Association and the Catholic Youth Welfare Organization in the Diocese of Augsburg until 1994 . Schmid was also called "Caritasbischof". Even after his retirement and the handing over of all offices, he was still there for the people. His calendar at the time testifies to his tireless zeal. He never saw himself and his meritorious work in the center. His strengths were the authenticity with which he presented his points of view and the piety with which he exemplified them.

Gravestone in the Augsburg Cathedral

In 1990, his age-related resignation was granted by John Paul II . Rudolf Schmid died on June 24, 2012 at the age of almost 98 years and was 41 years old as a bishop. He was buried on June 30th in the High Cathedral in Augsburg.

Honors

In 1978 he was awarded the " bread plate ", Caritas' highest award in Germany, by the Central Council of the German Caritas Association for his commitment to Caritas . In 1982 he was elected to the Central Council of the German Caritas Association. Auxiliary Bishop Schmid was awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit and the Federal Cross of Merit for his service to people in need, Caritas and the Catholic Youth Welfare Service . On the occasion of his 70th jubilee as a priest and his 94th birthday on June 26, 2008, the city of Augsburg awarded him the Medal of Merit for Augsburg for his "important life's work". One day later, on June 27, 2008, the diocese of Augsburg honored him with a solemn service in the chapel of the Augsburg Vicentine, which diocesan bishop Walter Mixa celebrated together with his predecessor Viktor Dammertz and the auxiliary bishops Josef Grünwald , Anton Losinger and Max Ziegelbauer .

Rudolf Schmid was an honorary member of the Catholic student association KDSt.V. Algovia Augsburg in the CV .

literature

  • Ludwig Gschwind: Benedictus Deus. In Memoriam Auxiliary Bishop Rudolf Schmid 1914–2012 . Kunstverlag Josef Fink, Lindenberg 2014, ISBN 978-3-89870-873-9

Web links

Commons : Rudolf Schmid  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Auxiliary Bishop Rudolf Schmid died at the age of almost 98 years
  2. ↑ Helmuth Knörzer (Ed.): The table is set - what bishops like. Food, prayers and anecdotes. Bauer, Thalhofen 2009, ISBN 978-3-934509-97-9 .
personal data
SURNAME Schmid, Rudolf
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German clergyman, auxiliary bishop in the diocese of Augsburg
DATE OF BIRTH June 26, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH Schiers , Switzerland
DATE OF DEATH June 24, 2012
Place of death augsburg