Ceremonial inauguration: Neustadt-Altenstadt now has a new pastor!

Ceremonial inauguration: Neustadt-Altenstadt now has a new pastor!

A significant celebration took place in Neustadt an der Waldnaab on Thursday evening when the church community ceremoniously inaugurated its new pastor, Thomas Kopp, into office. In front of the parish church of St. Georg, numerous believers welcomed Dean Alexander Hösl from Vohenstrauß, who led the ceremony, as well as the new pastor, and at the same time Kopp was assured of full support from the community. The ceremony was not only a formal introduction, but also a symbolic celebration of the community.

The church, lovingly decorated, was full to the last seat. Dean Hösl and Pastor Kopp ceremoniously entered the church, accompanied by representatives of the church committees and altar boys, which gave the occasion a solemn atmosphere. At the altar, where there was a flower carpet designed by hard-working hands, there were other clergy, including parish vicar Dr. Justin Kishimbe and Father Raffau from St. Felix Monastery. It was a harmonious interplay of music and liturgy, which was musically framed by the St. Georg church choir under the direction of Harald Bäumler.

Sermon and promises

In his sermon, Dean Hösl encouraged the believers and spoke of the central role of God in people's lives: "Where God is in the middle, our lives do not fall into the void." With this message he called on the parishioners to set out together in the new parish community. It became clear that changes were coming, and Hösl pointed out that every community would have to accept certain compromises in the future in order to strengthen the community.

After the sermon, Kopp had the opportunity to renew the promise he made when he was ordained a priest eleven years ago. This was the central point of the introduction and a moment of connection between Kopp and his new community. The new pastor's closing words were characterized by gratitude and an awareness of the responsibility that comes with his new position. “I want to give people what I can in order to lead them into an encounter with God,” said Kopp, who also emphasized the responsibility for the 7,713 members of his parish community.

However, the ceremony did not end with the celebratory mass. A surprise awaited the new priest on the church square: the Neustadt town band gave him a musical greeting with a serenade, which further lightened the festive mood. Thomas Kopp received wishes of good luck and blessings from the believers, and many people got into conversation over a glass of wine.

The new parish community at a glance

• Die Pfarreiengemeinschaft Neustadt-Altenstadt umfasst insgesamt 7713 Mitglieder. Hierzu zählt die Pfarrei Neustadt St. Georg mit fast 3800 Mitgliedern, sowie die Exposituren St. Salvator Störnstein mit fast 800 und St. Ullrich Wilchenreuth mit rund 400 Mitgliedern. Altenstadt hat die Pfarrei Hl. Familie mit etwa 2750 Mitgliedern.
• Pfarrer Thomas Kopp wird in seiner neuen Rolle unterstützt von Pfarrvikar Dr. Justin Kishimbe, Diakon Theo Margeth und den Gemeindereferentinnen Claudia Stöckl und Laura Amann. Zudem ist Domdekan emeritus Dr. Josef Ammer als Ruhestandspfarrer in Altenstadt aktiv geworden.
• In den kommenden Jahren wird auch die Pfarrei Parkstein St. Pankratius mit der Expositur Kirchendemenreuth (ca. 2000 Seelen) zu dieser Gemeinschaft stoßen. Der Name der neuen Pfarreiengemeinschaft wird noch erarbeitet, was das Gemeinschaftsgefühl weiter stärken soll.

The event therefore went far beyond the formal introduction of a new pastor; it was a celebration of faith and community that reflected the anticipation of the coming years together in the parish community. Further information about this event can be found here.