Theodor Buddenbrock

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Bishop Theodor Buddenbrock, around 1925

Theodor Buddenbrock SVD (born June 12, 1878 in Lippramsdorf , † January 18, 1959 in Süchteln ) was a German Roman Catholic archbishop and missionary to China.

Life

Theodor Buddenbrock was accepted as a student by Arnold Janssen in 1892 at the internal high school in the St. Michael Mission House in Steyl. In 1901 he entered the missionary order of the Steyler missionaries , studied philosophy and theology in the St. Gabriel Missionary House near Vienna and was ordained a priest there on February 24, 1905 .

China missionary

He was sent to the Order's China Mission to South Shantung in 1905. There he worked with great zeal as chaplain to Fr. Georg Froewis SVD (1865–1934). In 1909, Bishop Augustin Henninghaus SVD transferred him to Shanshien, a station in the far west of the mission.

He was friends with Josef Freinademetz , who was later canonized, and parts of the correspondence between the two China missionaries have survived. In 1907 Freinademetz asked Father Buddenbrock for his prayer in a letter, as he felt his end was near:

“My years are drawing to a close and with giant strides. One feels and regrets that such a long and gracious series of years of life is not better used in vinea domini - in God's vineyard; you want to wake up at least at the eleventh hour and work with all your might while there is still time. Your pious prayer helps me. "

- Josef Freinademetz : Letter to Theodor Buddenbrock, February 1907

Vicar Apostolic of Lanchowfu (Lanzhou)

In 1923, Father Buddenbrock was promoted to Apostolic Administrator (without authority), and in 1924 to Vicar Apostolic of the current Vicariate (diocese on probation) Kansu West, which was called Lanchowfu from December 3, 1924. At the same time, Theodor Buddenbrock was appointed titular bishop of Issus . He was ordained bishop on June 7, 1925, by the Apostolic Delegate in China, Archbishop Celso Costantini (later Cardinal) in Yenchowfu ( Yanzhou ); Co- consecrators were the Vicars Apostolic of Yanzhou and Jinan , Bishop Augustin Henninghaus SVD and Bishop Adalbert Schmücker OFM.

Earthquake disaster in 1927

On May 27, 1927, an earthquake struck Kansu, the devastating effect of which cost many lives and destroyed the homes of the people and the mission. Bishop Buddenbrock and his missionaries sent several urgent appeals to Europe in order to repair the greatest damage.

Home visit 1930

In 1930 Bishop Buddenbrock was at home and took part in the German Catholic Day in Münster in September . Here he gave a speech to the children in the cathedral and told them about China.

Buddenbrock calls the Merciful Brothers of Trier

Bishop Theodor Buddenbrock with the first Merciful Brothers in his diocese.

In 1933 the Apostolic Vicar brought the Order of the Brothers of Mercy from Maria Hilf from Trier to his diocese to practice nursing and teaching there. In this regard, there is a handwritten report by Bishop Buddenbrock in the journal Die Katholische Missionen (3/1934), the organ of the papal work for the spread of the faith in the countries of the German tongue.

Archbishop of Lanzhou

On April 11, 1946, the Lanchowfu Apostolic Vicariate was elevated to a regular archbishopric and Monsignor Buddenbrock received the rank of archbishop. Under communist rule, he had to leave his diocese and China in the 1950s. The archbishopric has been vacant since then and could no longer be occupied.

Archbishop Buddenbrock returned to his home diocese of Munster and was active there in pastoral care. He died in Süchteln in 1959. In 1953 he was awarded the Great Federal Cross of Merit.

Publications

  • In the Chinese prison. In: Steyler Missionsbote 39: 2 (Nov. 1911) 28-30.
  • Burning questions in Shansia. From Fr Theodor Buddenbrock, missionary in South Shantung. In: Steyler Missionsbote 39: 3 (Dec. 1911) 40–41.
  • The Liangchow earthquake, Kansu-China, May 23, 1927 . By Msgr. Theodor Buddenbrook, Apostol. Vicar von Lanchow, Missionsdruckerei Steyl, Post Kaldenkirchen 1927. 32 p.
  • Manuals in usum Missionariorum, Vicariatus Apostolici de Lanchow. Published by Vicar Apostolic Theodor Buddenbrock SVD. Ex typis Missionis catholicae Yenchowfu 1933, Shantung, 292 pp.
  • Children's sermon with photo of Buddenbrock, in the commemorative publication for the German Catholic Day 1930, in Münster, pp. 328–329, 367.
  • The Merciful Brothers of Trier in China. Bishop Buddenbrock's report on the settlement of the Brothers of Mercy in his mission area (with picture). In: Die Katholische Missionen (3/1934), organ of the pontifical work for the spread of the faith in the countries of the German tongue.
  • Annual report of the apost. Vicars of Lanchow, Kansu. In: Steyler Missionsbote 66 (1938–39) 113–117.
  • Easter greeting from Kansu. In: Steyler Missionsbote 67 (1939/40) 141-143.

literature

  • Ludwig Senge SVD: A life for China. Brief biography of Sr. Excellenz Theodor Buddenbrock SVD. In: Stadt Gottes 1959, 134–136.
  • Richard Hartwich SVD: Steyler missionaries in China II. Bishop A. Henninghaus calls Steyler sisters 1904–1910 (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 36). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1985, ISBN 3-87787-189-5 .
  • R. Hartwich: Divine Word Missionaries in China III. Republic of China and World War I 1911–1919 (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 40). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1987, ISBN 3-8050-0180-0 .
  • R. Hartwich: Steyler missionaries in China IV. Spiritual leader of his China missionaries Rev. mus P. Wilhelm Gier SVD 1922 (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 42). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1988, ISBN 3-8050-0202-5 .
  • R. Hartwich: Steyler missionaries in China V. From war ruins to new borders 1920–1923 (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 48). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1989, ISBN 3-8050-0242-4 .
  • R. Hartwich: Divine Word Missionaries in China VI. On the waves of the Chinese Civil War 1924–1926 (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 53). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1987, ISBN 3-8050-0288-2 .
  • Josef Alt SVD (ed.): Arnold Janssen SVD, letters to China. Vol. III: 1904-1908 (= Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 75). Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 2002, XV + 313 S., ISBN 3-8050-0448-6 .
  • Johannes Fleckner SVD: Archbishop Theodor Buddenbrock 1878–1959. In: Johannes Fleckner: So they were. Divine Word Missionaries from 14 countries. Volume 5. Mission Seminary, St. Augustin 2002, pp. 131-137.

Web links

Commons : Theodor Buddenbrock  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Johannes Fleckner: Archbishop Theodor Buddenbrock 1878-1959. In: J. Fleckner: So they were. Divine Word Missionaries from 14 countries. Volume 5. Mission Seminary, St. Augustin 2002, p. 131
  2. ↑ The Liangchow earthquake, Kansu-China, May 23, 1927. By Msgr. Theodor Buddenbrook, Apostol. Vicar of Lanchow. Missionsdruckerei Steyl, Post Kaldenkirchen 1927. 32 p.
personal data
SURNAME Buddenbrock, Theodor
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Buddenbrock, Theodor SVD
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German clergyman, Roman Catholic archbishop
DATE OF BIRTH June 12, 1878
PLACE OF BIRTH Lippramsdorf
DATE OF DEATH January 18, 1959
Place of death Addicts