Benedict House - Tutzing, Germany
For some time the Leadership of our Congregation
had recognized the need of founding a home for old and sick German Missionaries
that wished to return to their homeland or could not be cared for in their
mission countries. In addition, political developments in some countries made
the return of German missionaries advisable.
Therefore, during the 1976 general chapter it
was decided to find a suitable place for such a home,
since the Tutzing Motherhouse
did not have sufficient space.
The generosity of a Tutzing
citizen, Mrs. Johanna Schwamm,
provided the answer. She bequeathed to the
Congregation her considerable property with a picturesque pond at today’s Benediktenweg
in Tutzing, exactly right for this purpose.
The present superior of the
community, Sr. Chantal Gerster, had served as a missionary in Korea
and also as general councilor in Rome.
Haus St.
Benedikt“ is part of the Generalate
District. In the 35 years of its existence, 82 sisters
from all our mission countries have lived in this Haus St. Benedikt and were lovingly cared for
until God called them home.
Today Haus
St.
All the sisters still able to do some services
are helping with tasks in house and garden.
For many years the periodical “Kontinente” was edited in Haus St.
Benedikt, and also the first website of the Congregation in three languages was
developed and edited here. At this time
one sister is giving pastoral care to old people in a home at nearby
Garatshausen and another sister gives German lessons to refugees.
However the most important task for all the sisters is
their personal prayer and the prayer in Choir, where as true missionaries they
bring the concerns and needs of our world and our church before God, including especially
the people that had been entrusted to
their care for many years.
The sisters and employees aim to bring treasures and the needs of the young churches close to the people here in Germany. They remind them of their missionary co-responsibility as Christians and strengthen this awareness.
“Old age offers to us the last chance for human maturity. It is a decisive phase of life, an offer to grow still more and to embrace everything in life. Now it is important to complete our birth, because we are still in developing!”
Ten Filipinas who have joined the community as
oblates are caring lovingly for the old and sick sisters in house, kitchen and
infirmary. They remain in Germany
Even two former prioresses general spent the
last years of their life in Haus St. Benedikt:
Mother Gertrud Link (+1990) and Mother Edeltrud Weist (+2012).
Since May 24, 2011, the offices of our Congregation’s
Mission Procure have been located in “Haus Schwamm” on our grounds. As a place
of contact with the sisters and the churches of the entire world, the Mission
Procure has manifold tasks. It gives not only financial assistance, but serves also
by more and more meetings and contacts with the whole world. 
The sisters and employees aim to bring treasures and the needs of the young churches close to the people here in Germany. They remind them of their missionary co-responsibility as Christians and strengthen this awareness.
Finally one can call the
Haus St. Benedikt as “Thanksgiving-House”, in which the harvest of many and
fruitful missionary service is bundled and brought into God’s eternal
dwellings.
“Old age offers to us the last chance for human maturity. It is a decisive phase of life, an offer to grow still more and to embrace everything in life. Now it is important to complete our birth, because we are still in developing!”
Our Website:
www.hausbenedikt-tuzing.homepage.t-online.de
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