Wilhelm Greed

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Wilhelm Gier (* December 25, 1867 in Kronenburg , today part of the parish of Dahlem in the Euskirchen district ; † November 18, 1951 in Steyl , today Venlo, Netherlands) was a religious priest , Steyler missionary , professor of theology and 3rd  general superior of the Society of the Divine Word ( Societas Verbi Divini, SVD).

Life

Origin and education

Wilhelm Gier was the second oldest of five children of the married couple Peter Gier and Catharina Gier, nee Maus. He grew up in a Catholic smallholder family in Eifel .

On October 9, 1880, Gier joined the first German Catholic mission house founded by Arnold Janssen . After finishing Latin school, Gier attended the Lyceum in the St. Michael Mission House in Steyl in the Netherlands for two years from 1884 . He also completed his philosophical and theological studies in the mission house from 1886 to 1889. Then Arnold Janssen sent him to Rome, where he on July 20, 1891, the termination of his Roman studies the theology of Doctor of theology doctorate was. On July 25, 1891 Wilhelm greed got in the St. Stephen's Cathedral , the ordination .

Theologian and instructor of the next generation of the order

In the winter semester of the same year, Gier began teaching at the St. Gabriel Missionary Seminar near Vienna, which was founded in 1889 . From 1893 he also held the task of prefect for theology students. In 1898 Janssen appointed him novice master . In all of these tasks, greed shaped a whole generation of future Steyler missionaries in China , Togo , New Guinea and in North and South America . In 1912, the 2nd Superior General, Nikolaus Blum , sent him on a visitation trip to Latin America . Nikolaus Blum appointed Gier in 1917 as the first Provincial of the Eastern Province of his order with his seat in St. Gabriel. As Provincial, Gier took part in the 5th  General Chapter of the SVD, which was convened in 1920 after the untimely death of Father Nikolaus Blum.

General Superior SVD (1920–1932)

On September 29, 1920 Wilhelm Gier was elected 3rd General Superior of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) in Steyl  .

On August 16, 1921, he set off on a visitation trip to the Steyler Overseas Mission, from which he only returned on June 2, 1924 after three years. Greed wanted to become familiar with the situation of the Divine Word missionaries in their mission areas in China, Japan, the Philippines, New Guinea, the United States of America and South America. Fr. Gier, who is valued as spiritual director, held retreats for the Steyler fathers, brothers and sisters in all missions . Greed was accompanied on his journey by his secretary, Fr. Bruno Hagspiel, who worked in the USA, who published the mission reports in five volumes.

His term of office was marked by a strong decentralization. Much of the correspondence, not only during his three-year absence from Steyl, was left to Gier's general councilors, who were also made responsible for certain areas such as training and study and missions. The church and mission lawyer P. Theodor Grentrup was made responsible for the studies and missions of New Guinea and Japan. In spite of the heavy personnel losses caused by the First World War, the number of members almost doubled during his twelve-year generalate.

During Gier's tenure, the Steyler Missionary Order was able to establish new branches in Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, which belongs to Czechoslovakia. New training houses for prospective missionaries were built in Germany and the United States. The number of overseas mission areas rose from five to twelve under Fr. Gier. In 1928 Gier moved the general leadership of the Steyler missionaries from Steyl an der Maas to the newly built Collegio del Verbo Divino in Rome.

Spiritual writer and retreat master

At the 6th General Chapter of the Steyler Missionaries convened by Gier, the first to be held in Rome, the General Council Fr. Josef Grendel was elected 4th General Superior SVD and Fr Wilhelm Gier was elected Vice-General. His book “How to learn to pray” (1919) was translated into numerous languages ​​such as English, Spanish, Chinese and the like. a. translated and reprinted over and over again.

Furthermore, Fr. Gier was in great demand as a spiritual guide and advisor and held numerous retreats. In 1948 he retired to Steyl, where he died on November 18, 1951 and found his last earthly resting place in the cemetery of the mother house.

Honors

In January 1925, Wilhelm Gier was awarded an honorary doctorate (Dr. theol. Honoris causa) in theology by the Catholic Theological Faculty of the Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster .

Publications

  • How do you learn to pray well? Brief instructions for good performance of the most important spiritual exercises , P. Wilhelm Gier SVD, Steyl, Missionsdruckerei 1926, 453 pp.
  • How to Pray Well: Short Instructions on the Most Important Religious Exercises . Compiled by William Gier, SVD, Mission Press, Techny, Ill. (USA) 1925, 478 pp.
  • Hoe leer ik bidden ?: handleiding om de dagelijkse gebeden en godsdienstige oefeningen goed te verhaben van Willem Gier , 6th edition (1st edition Uden 1925, 4th edition 1936, 5th edition 1940), Missiehuis St. Willibrordus : Deurne 1948, 440 pp.
  • Dios y mi alma: Guía de vida interior . Por el P. Guillermo Gier SVD, Traducido por Lichius, Santiago, SVD, Buenos Aires, Editorial Guadalupe 1944, 488 pp.
  • Como assistir à missa. Gier, Guilherme , SVD, Juiz de Fora, Lar Catolico, 1944, 157 pp.
  • My Monthly Recollection Day: A Compilation From the Spiritual Treasury of Very Rev. William Gier, SVD , Edited by Bruno Hagspiel, SVD, Milwaukee, The Bruce Publishing Company 1953, 177 p.
  • Veni Creator Spiritus explained by P. Wilhelm Gier SVD , Steyl 1962, 59 pp.
  • Consecration Retreat 1938 , ed. v. Heinrich Wolsing, Rome 1988, 158 pp.

literature

  • Bruno Hagspiel, SVD, Along the mission trail , volumes: I. In the Philippines.- II. In the Netherlands East Indies.- III. In New Guinea.- IV. In China.- V. In Japan . Mission Press, SVD, Techny, Ill. (USA) 1925-1927.
  • Fritz Bornemann SVD: Father Arnold Janssen and his successors in office , in: Verbum SVD 1 (1959) 322-335.
  • F. Bornemann: Arnold Janssen and his successors in office . In: Steyler Mission Chronicle 1959, 157–168.
  • Fritz Bornemann, P. Wilhelm Gier 1867–1951. Third General Superior SVD 1920-1932 , Analecta SVD 50, Romae 1980, 574 pp.
  • Fritz Bornemann and Others, A History of the Divine Word Missionaries , (internal: A History of Our Society, Analecta SVD 54/1; History of our Society, Analecta SVD 54/2) Romae 1981, 434 pp.
  • Richard Hartwich SVD (ed.), Divine Word Missionaries in China. Contributions to a story , Volume IV: Spiritual leader of his China missionaries Rev.mus P. Wilhelm Gier 1922 , Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 42, Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1988, 110 pages, ISBN 3-8050-0202-5 .
  • Paul B. Steffen, He lived for the universal church: Father Wilhelm Gier SVD (1867–1951) , in: Steyl Korrespondenz 10:10 (1982), October 1, 1982, pp. 1-4.
  • Paul B. Steffen, “My constant desire to become a missionary one day”. Wilhelm Gier was a master of the religious word , in the yearbook of the Euskirchen district 1983, 19-25.
  • Paul B. Steffen:  Greed, Wilhelm. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 32, Bautz, Nordhausen 2011, ISBN 978-3-88309-615-5 , Sp. 509-513.  ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )
  • Josef Alt SVD: The Roman Settlement of the Steyler Missionaries (1888-2003) , Analecta SVD 86, Romae 2004, 401 pp.
  • Josef Alt SVD: The History of the Foundation of Divine Word Missionaries in Rome (1888-2003) , Analecta SVD 87, Cura Generalizia SVD: Rome (Italy) 2004, 401 pp.
  • J. Alt, Arnold Janssen, life path and life work of the founder of the Steyler order , Studia Instituti Missiologici SVD 70, Steyler Verlag: Nettetal 1999, 1085 S., ISBN 3-8050-0427-3

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. Paul B. Steffen, GIER, Wilhelm, SVD (1867-1851) , in: Biographisch-Bibliographischen Kirchenlexikon 32 (2011) 509-513.
  2. ↑ A. Miotk SVD The SVD General Chapters from the historical point of view (Part I): Verbum SVD 53: 1 (2012) 27-30.
  3. ↑ A. Miotk SVD The SVD General Chapters from the historical point of view (Part I): Verbum SVD 53: 1 (2012) p. 28.
  4. ↑ Bruno Hagspiel, SVD, Along the mission trail, volumes: I. In the Philippines.- II. In the Netherlands East Indies.- III. In New Guinea.- IV. In China.- V. In Japan. Mission Press, SVD, Techny, Ill. (USA) 1925-27.
  5. ↑ cf. Josef Alt SVD: The Roman Settlement of the Steyler Missionaries (1888-2003), Analecta SVD 86, Romae 2004, 401 pp.
  6. ↑ A. Miotk, The SVD General Chapters from the Historical Point of View (Part II): Verbum SVD 53: 2 (2012) pp 131-134.
  7. ↑ Paul B. Steffen, GREED, Wilhelm, SVD (1867-1851) , in: BBKL 32 (2011) 509-513.
  8. ↑ [1] (PDF; 267 kB)
personal data
SURNAME Greed, Wilhelm
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Greed SVD, Wilhelm
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Steyler missionary and superior general
DATE OF BIRTH December 25, 1867
PLACE OF BIRTH Kronenburg
DATE OF DEATH November 18, 1951
Place of death Steyl