1 CrossingOver Essen Conference, 9 July 2011. Faculty of Catholic Theology Chair of Medieval and Modern Church History Kirsten Oboth (M. Ed.) For heavens.

Präsentation zum Thema: "1 CrossingOver Essen Conference, 9 July 2011. Faculty of Catholic Theology Chair of Medieval and Modern Church History Kirsten Oboth (M. Ed.) For heavens."—  Präsentation transkript:

1 1 CrossingOver Essen Conference, 9 July 2011. Faculty of Catholic Theology Chair of Medieval and Modern Church History Kirsten Oboth (M. Ed.) For heavens sake! A historical perspective on changes of Apostolic Women Religious in Germany

2 2 Apostolic fields of action (e.g. 1956) 1 Field of actionSistersWith apprenticeship Health care 33.23323.000 Therefrom governm. institutes 10.598 Domestic economy & agriculture 21.567 2.284 Youth education 12.000 1.300 School education 5.200 1.500 Administration 5.000 540 Welfare education 1.600 188 Pastoral care 1.203 1. Cf. Schmiedl: Transformation, 111.

3 3 2. Cf. Leimgruber: Frauenorden, 334-335. Women Religious in Germany 1915-2004 2

4 4 Novices in Germany 1954-2002 3 3. Cf. Leimgruber: Frauenorden, 337.

5 5 The impact of Vatican II Reflection on the founders charisma Reform on the lifestyle (spiritual exercises, habit, names and titles…) Change of the constitutions and custom books Weakening of the hierarchical structure for the benefit of individual responsibility (subsidiarity instead of obedience) Amendment of the sisters education (novitiates, apprenticeship…)

6 6 Apostolic fields of action – Comparison between the years 1973 and 2003 4 4. Cf. Leimgruber: Frauenorden, 339.

7 7 Sisters work nowadays Sisters at work ambulance for homeless people (l.a.), meditation with guests (r.a.) and physical therapy (r.b.); Guidebook for vacation in cloisters (l.b.) Source: Leimgruber: Frauenklöster, p.96 & 100.

8 8 Follow up questions How will female religious orders change during the next 10 years? Will new structures like temporary monasticism (Kloster auf Zeit) or a membership without profession strengthen? In which way will the memory and heritage of the congregations be treated? Would a permanent search for new forms of apostolate influence the sisters spirit?

9 9 Literature Leimgruber, Ute: Frauenkloster – Klosterfrauen. Leben in Ordensgemeinschaften heute, Stuttgart 2008. Leimgruber, Ute: Frauenorden in der Krise. Teil I: Der Umfang der Krise, in: OK 46 (2005), p. 334-343. Schmiedl, Joachim: Die Transformation der caritativen katholischen Orden nach 1960, in: Jähnichen, Traugott a.o. (Ed.): Caritas und Diakonie im "goldenen Zeitalter" des bundesdeutschen Sozialstaats. Transformationen der konfessionellen Wohlfahrtsverbände in den 1960er Jahren (Konfession und Gesellschaft. 43), Stuttgart 2010, p. 107-124.