Female synodalist with an agenda takes over direction of pastoral care in Austrian diocese
Feldkirch Diocese to have its first female pastoral director
The Diocese of Feldkirch will have its first female pastoral director. Effective October 1, theologian and social ethicist Petra Steinmair-Pösel will take over the position from Martin Fenkart, who had held this position since October 2015.
The Catholic Church of Vorarlberg announced this on Thursday. Fenkart will move to head the new "Missionary Pastoral Care and Dialogue" department.
Getting involved in the church today also means facing opposition. Therefore, we need people "who feel this wind and understand how to set their sails with the wind," said Bishop Benno Elbs in a press release. He is fortunate to have found such people "and, so to speak, had to poach them myself." He trusts both Steinmair-Pösel and Fenkart to "build sustainable bridges into society and to the people."
The Church wants to renew dialogue in the face of social change
The new head of the pastoral office emphasized the need to "learn to listen to one another anew." "The synodal process has shown that the church is alive where people can build relationships, where they experience that it's about them personally, that someone is there who is genuinely interested in how they are doing. I want to take that very seriously," she said. "Society is changing rapidly – and with it the role of the church," said Fenkart about his new role. Many people are searching for meaning and direction, but find little use in the church's usual offerings, and this is where the new office aims to address them. The content of the "Neuland" project, which develops innovative pastoral approaches, will be further developed in the new staff unit.
Steinmair-Pösel studied at the theological faculties in Innsbruck and Dublin. Previous professional positions for the Bludenz native include the Institute for Systematic Theology and Ethics at the University of Vienna, the Women's Affairs Department of the Catholic Church in Vorarlberg, and leadership and teaching at the Edith Stein Church University of Education (KPH). She was also a member of the Austrian Synod team.
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