Stefanus community

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Stefanus community is a Christian educational and friendship community named after the martyr Stefanus . With her educational program she takes up problems of today's people and tries to give answers on the basis of the Christian faith and in connection with the focus on faith - knowledge - speech.

history

Alfred Lange founded the Stefanus Community on March 7, 1948 together with nine other men in the household school in Aulendorf . Each of them did volunteer work in a religious community, but when talking to non-believers they noticed that they were rhetorically superior to them. Like Alfred Lange, they were of the opinion that speech training and the expansion of knowledge were inevitable when dealing with one's own beliefs. The expansion of rhetorical knowledge became a core concern of the Stefanus community.

In order to make the community and its idea known, Alfred Lange visited various dioceses and cities in order to found new Stefanus groups. By 1958, 56 Stefanus groups with around 1000 Stefanus friends had been established in eight dioceses. The first Stefanuskreis was founded in the Principality of Liechtenstein in 1962, followed by Stefanuskreises in 1968 in Tyrol ( Austria ), Finland and Italy .

On November 5, 1971, Alfred Lange, Alfons Bacher and pastor Bruno Bernhard Zieger, the entire board of directors at the time, announced that the Stefanus Community wanted to buy the dilapidated Heiligkreuztal monastery in the suburb of the municipality of Altheim near Riedlingen . The next day, Alfred Lange had a fatal car accident on the way to the Stefanuskreis Regensburg. The Stefanus community stuck to the plan to buy and renovate the Heiligkreuztal monastery. In 1972 the Stefanus community began the decade-long refurbishment and renovation of the dilapidated monastery complex and established a Christian educational and meeting place. Alfons Bacher, who was elected First Chairman in 1964 as the successor to Alfred Lange, shaped the expansion of the Heiligkreuztal Monastery with numerous voluntary helpers. The Stefanus community continues to exist in a large number of circles, but now also has a common base in the Heiligkreuztal monastery. The old walls of the Heiligkreuztal monastery have been filled with life, spirituality and a special atmosphere.

The monastery is not only important for the Stefanus community, the surrounding towns - especially the Altheim community, which is part of Heiligkreuztal - benefit from its tourist and spiritual attraction.

Since 1952, the star pilgrimage of the Stefanus community to the baroque minster "Our Lady" in Zwiefalten has taken place every September . Following the trade fair taking place there, there will be a lecture on a current topic. For example, the former Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg Erwin Teufel , a self-confessed friend of Stefanus, gave a lecture in 2013 on the subject of “The role of the citizen in church and state”.

idea

Alfred Lange founded the community with the aim of encouraging young Catholics to be active in the Church and in the world. His idea was to gather people in groups of friends and train them through targeted educational work in the areas of faith, knowledge and speech. Alfred Lange coined the idea of ​​the Stefanus community primarily with the phrase: "Our foundation is friendship". He assumed that in a circle of friends it would be possible to both develop one's strengths and accept one's weaknesses. At the same time, the Circle of Friends provides a framework in which others with their strengths and weaknesses can also find a place. Everyone in the Circle of Friends can develop their own personality.

Today's logo of the Stefanus community describes these basic values: Faith, knowledge, speaking on the basis of friendship. On the basis of friendship, Stefanusfreundinnen get involved in church and political bodies. Many of them hold honorary positions in parishes, deaneries , diocesan bodies, church associations or in local and state politics, in works councils, parent representatives and in associations.

Stefanus circles

The Stefanus community consists of a large number of Stefanus circles. Stefan's circles are groups of friends who meet regularly to learn more about a variety of topics and to cultivate their friendship with one another. The focus is on current issues in society and training in rhetoric. Joint celebrations, excursions, pilgrimages and church services deepen the friendship. A Stefanus group is headed by the chairman and his deputy (today also chairwoman / deputy) who, together with the spiritual advisory board, accompany the Stefanusfreunde. Stefanus circles can be found in southern Germany, Liechtenstein and western Austria.

Protection cartridge

In 1948, Alfred Lange chose the holy deacon Stefanus as the namesake and patron saint of the community . In the foreword of the first statute it says: “They saw in him the great model for a world Christian movement. Because - the Acts of the Apostles proclaims it in chapters 6 and 7 - his character was solid, he was powerful in knowledge and discussion. Supported by the trust of his congregation, called by the priests, he was allowed to die for his Lord and Master as the first in the army of martyrs. In this he is a great role model for the Stefanus community.

In 1952, the Stefanus Community also chose Brother Klaus as their patron and advocate. He is a role model for the Stefan's friends in social and political engagement, which, based on a deep relationship with God and the power of prayer, serves the well-being of the people. As a saint of peace, Brother Klaus is a current saint and advocate. In the so-called Brother Klaus Visions Path in Heiligkreuztal Monastery, the visions of the saint are artistically presented in the niches of the inner enclosure wall. Alois Spichtig and Toni Halter were entrusted with the artistic implementation, after the death of Alois Spichtig Toni Halter continued the work.

Educational priorities

The Stefanus community is a friendship, but also an educational community, which has its focus in the areas of faith, knowledge and speech. The area of ​​rhetoric in particular has been a central concern since the Stefanus Community was founded. Alfred Lange, a gifted speaker from the school of the rhetorician and speaker trainer Fritz Schweinsberg, trained the individual Stefanusfreunde in the circles. In training courses lasting several years, speech educators were trained in each district, who in turn offered rhetoric courses in their district.

Club structure

The leadership of the Stefanus community is elected by the main conference. It consists of the first and second chairman, the spiritual advisor and three to five other elected persons. This council of the Stefanus community meets four times a year and directs the business of the Stefanus community. The supreme organ of the Stefanus community is the main conference. Its members are made up of the members of the Council of the Stefanus Community and representatives of the diocesan associations. In addition to the seat of the Stefanus community in the Heiligkreuztal monastery, there are numerous groups of friends in Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein. The Stefanus Community is a registered association based in Heiligkreuztal. The Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart mentions the Stefanus community in various places, making it clear that it is a recognized religious community. In addition, the Stefanus Community is a member of the Catholic adult education of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart and the working group of Catholic organizations and associations of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart.

First chairman since the foundation of the Stefanus Community

  • Alfred Lange (1949–1964)
  • Alfons Bacher (1964–1989)
  • Gottfried Juen (1989–1990)
  • Werner Fiutak (1991-2006)
  • Herbert Frick (2006-2014)
  • Alfred Fraidling (since 2014)

literature

  • Alfred Lange: Win your world. A book on the life and work of active Christians , Otto Schloz Verlag, Stuttgart-Degerloch 1958.
  • Fabian Bacher: The Stefanus Community , in: Erwin Reiter: Heiligkreuztal. A companion through Münster and the monastery complex , Beuroner Kunstverlag Josef Fink, Beuron 2004, ISBN 3-89870-166-2 .
  • Paul Kopf: Only friends together. 50 Years of the Stefanus Community 1948–1998 , Schwabenverlag, Ostfildern 1998, ISBN 3-7966-0934-1 .
  • Werner Fiutak: Stefanus community. , In: Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche , Herder Verlag, Freiburg / Breisgau 2000, Volume 9 (San to Thomas), 3rd edition, ISBN 3-451-22009-1 , Sp. 943.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Stefanus Community, URL: http://www.stefanus.de/stefanus-gemeinschaft.html , accessed: May 22, 2015
  2. ↑ Lange 1958, p. 23
  3. ↑ Chronicle of the Stefanus Community, URL: Archived copy ( Memento of the original from May 26, 2015 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. , Accessed: May 22, 2015 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.stefanus.de
  4. ↑ Head 1998, p. 52ff
  5. ↑ Head 1998, p. 64
  6. ↑ Deutschlandradio Kultur: "Strong women-strong laymen", URL: http://www.deutschlandradiokultur.de/starke-frauen-starke-laien.1124.de.html?dram:article_id=176892 Access: May 28, 2015
  7. ↑ Sights in Altheim, URL: http://www.gemeinde-altheim.de/ Access: May 28, 2015
  8. ↑ Schwäbische Zeitung: "Monastery shapes village and landscape", URL: http://www.schwaebische.de/home_artikel,-_arid,2765499.html Accessed: May 28, 2015
  9. ↑ Head 1998, p. 104
  10. ↑ Schwäbische Zeitung: "Teufel:" Women's question needs to be solved ", URL: http://www.schwaebische.de/region_artikel,-Teufel-%E2%80%9EFrauenfrage-gilt-es-zu-loesen%E2%80 % 9C-_arid, 5499210_toid, 570.html Accessed : May 28, 2015
  11. ↑ Schwäbische Zeitung: "Erwin Teufel speaks about church and politics", URL: http://www.schwaebische.de/region_artikel,-Erwin-Teufel-sprech-ueber-Kirche-und-Ppolitik-_arid,5495044.html Access: May 28, 2015
  12. ↑ LthK 2000, Volume 9, p. 943
  13. ↑ Bacher 2004, p. 35
  14. ^ Lange 1958, p. 152
  15. ↑ The signet of the Stefanus community, URL: Archived copy ( Memento of the original from May 26, 2015 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. , Accessed: May 22, 2015 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.stefanus.de
  16. ↑ Lange 1958, pp. 152ff
  17. ↑ Head 1998, p. 24
  18. ↑ Bruder-Klaus-Visionenweg, URL: http://www.stefanus.de/bildungsstaette/bruder-klaus-visionenweg.html , accessed: May 22, 2015
  19. ↑ Lange 1958, p. 23
  20. ↑ Head 1998, p. 24
  21. ↑ Common register portal of the federal states, URL: https://www.handelsregister.de/rp_web/mask.do?Typ=e Access: May 28, 2015
  22. ↑ Orders and Communities of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, http://www.drs.de/dioezese/orden-und-gemeinschaften.html Accessed: May 28, 2015
  23. ↑ KEB DRS, URL: http://www.keb-drs.de/index.php?id=keb-organisation-verbaende Access: May 28, 2015
  24. ↑ AKO, URL: http://www.ako-drs.de/index.php?article_id=127 Accessed: May 28, 2015