New team in Schwanenstadt: Pastors and board members appointed!

The new leadership of the future parish has been determined in the heart of Schwanenstadt. The diocese has announced the responsible people who will direct the fate of the parish as part of the diocesan parish structural reform. Pastor Friedrich Vystrcil from Attnang-Puchheim will act as the new pastor, supported by Wilhelm Seufer-Wasserthal as pastoral director and Margit Hirsch, who will take over the administration. These appointments will take effect in the fall of 2025, when the three begin working in a shared office, as reported by My district.

The diocesan parish structure reform was initiated in the Schwanenstadt deanery in autumn 2024. In the first year, a growing sense of unity should emerge within the parish communities in order to work together effectively as a pastoral space. A rough concept for the future pastoral concept is developed, which defines central goals and priorities for pastoral work Tips reported. The new leadership positions are intended to network existing structures and optimize pastoral care through intensive collaboration with priests, deacons and volunteers.

Important steps towards reform

The legal establishment of the parish is to be completed on January 1, 2026, followed by gradual implementation by 2028 for all deaneries. The coordination of this process is in the hands of the Parish Structure Department under the direction of Martin Schachinger. Particularly noteworthy is the need for the administrative boards, who will receive intensive training in the spring in order to manage administrative matters efficiently. The new people in charge will have to work specifically with the full-time staff from autumn 2025 to put the pastoral concept into practice and form the pastoral care teams.