New leadership of the diocesan transport community: Eppensteiner relies on community and sport

New leadership of the diocesan transport community: Eppensteiner relies on community and sport

The diocesan transport community Austria (GDPÖ) has a new leadership. The former vice chairman, Sepp Eppensteiner, was recently elected as the volunteer federal chairman. Eppensteiner, living in Wolfspassing in the Diocese of St. Pölten, brings extensive experience in the church sports world and would like to further strengthen the connection between church and sport.

Together with his deputies, Herbert Hallegger and Ernst Nagelschmied, who come from the Dioceses Innsbruck and Gurk-Klagenfurt, he is now at the top of around 270 church sports clubs in Austria, which together count more than 60,000 members. This was decided during the DSGÖ Federal Conference, which took place in Trausdorf on Friday and Saturday. Stefan Rinnerhofer will continue to hold the role of Secretary General.

Sepp Eppensteiner and his vision

Eppensteiner himself looks back on a career as an athlete in a religious context and scores with a clear goal: he wants to bring together the community of all sports enthusiasts. This approach should not only promote church faith, but also help to enable people who stand away from the Church a positive experience in sport. "Sport can also open the church gates for many," said Eppensteiner in a first statement.

A central point in his speech was the idea of bringing church sport closer to the church through modern means of communication. The diocesan transport community organizes over 700 different events annually. Eppensteiner emphasizes that well -motivated church athletes can act as the "flagship of the church" and that the mediation of values such as respect, fairness and community plays an important role.

The reciprocity between sport and church sees Eppensteiner as a great opportunity. This can be seen in many areas, be it children's and youth sports or during the eventful football tournaments that are offered for altar servers. Many people rediscover spirituality here, often within the framework of health -promoting pilgrimage hikes.

Eppensteiner emphasizes that he wants to continue the decades of work of his predecessor Josef "Pepi" Frank. This has held the GDÖ management since 2012 and was a well -known face in the church sports landscape. Eppensteiner praised Frank's tireless efforts and was impressed by his commitment to people with disabilities, which he motivated and delighted by sport.

Another central point in Eppensteiner's strategies is cooperation with the Sportunion. This cooperation is intended to help bring Christian values into society. Karin Ofner, President of the Sportunion Burgenland, welcomed Eppensteiner's intentions during the Federal Conference and sees great potential in the joint work.

The diocesan transport community Austria was founded in 1951 and offers a variety of events. The offer ranges from sporting training to leagues and tournaments to sports camps and ski courses. The DSGÖ is particularly aimed at families, adolescents and seniors and sees people in their entirety as a central aspect of their activities. On their website they emphasize that the focus is not on performance, but humanity and joy in sport.

For more information about the diocescent transport community Austria and its activities, visit the organization website. dsg-oesterreich.at