Pastor Heinz Röschert: A life for the faith - farewell to Bad Neustadt

Pastor Heinz Röschert: A life for the faith - farewell to Bad Neustadt

On October 7, 2024, the former pastor Heinz Röschert died at the age of 87. His life is marked by a long and committed career within the Catholic Church. Until his retirement he lived in Bad Neustadt, where he spent his final years.

Heinz Röschert was born in Schweinfurt in 1937 and entered the priesthood on March 11, 1962, when he was ordained a priest by Bishop Josef Stangl in Würzburg. He gained his first experiences as a temporary priest in Retzstadt and Giebelstadt and as a chaplain in Ochsenfurt before going to Munich in 1965 to continue his studies. These early positions shaped his later tasks in various parishes and in the diocese.

Diverse pastoral activities

At the end of 1967, Röschert settled in Miltenberg and took over the office of parish administrator there in 1968. In 1969 he was commissioned to provide catechetical training in the diocese. He was also appointed sub-regent at the Würzburg seminary. This role enabled him to significantly influence the formation of future priests.

He continued Röschert's commitment to religious education from 1973 to 1976 as a diocesan training officer and also served as trustee of Würzburg-Heilig Geist. His participation in the joint synod of the dioceses in Germany from 1971 to 1975 shows how active he was in church politics. Until 1980 he was also a school representative in the dean's office in Würzburg-Stadt, which underlines his versatility.

From 1976 to 1983 Röschert headed the seminary in Würzburg. During this time he was also appointed to several important church commissions. In 1983 there was another important step in his career: he became pastor of the Schweinfurt-Heilig Geist congregation. From this point on, he also took on responsibility as deanery representative for further training for priests and theological adult education in Schweinfurt.

Röschert took up his last pastoral position in Stockheim in 1999, while at the same time he worked as curate of Ostheim/Rhön. During the 30 years that he worked as a radio preacher for Bayerischer Rundfunk, he appeared primarily at the morning celebrations. He finally went into permanent retirement in 2008 and spent the years that followed in Bad Neustadt.

The Catholic community as well as many pastors and priests remember Röschert's lifelong devotion and deep faith. Place and time for the requiem and burial at which Bishop Dr. Franz Jung will take part will be announced at a later date. as reported in a statement from the Diocese of Würzburg.