Accompaniment: South Germany – Austria

As part of the GLT-ACOMP process, I had the opportunity to accompany the Province of South Germany–Austria, which includes communities in Slovakia, Austria, and southern Germany.

In Nitra, Slovakia, the presence of life and mission remains strong through the Lukov Dvor Spiritual Centre, which includes the Dom Srdca Ježišovho (House of the Heart of Jesus) and the Dom Kána (House of Cana). The centre offers spiritual retreats, formation courses, and personal accompaniment, integrating the human, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of life. It is a space where God’s people find comfort, healing, and strength to rebuild themselves in an integral way. It is also a beautiful intercongregational experience: Fr. Tomasz Poterala, MSC, together with the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit, and a diocesan priest, form a living testimony of shared mission.

In Vienna, Fr. Markus Clemens, MSC, carries out a valuable ministry of psychological support for people in need. His work is a prophetic sign within the professional field, bringing together psychological care and spiritual depth in a truly integrated way.

In Birkeneck, Freising (Bavaria), you can feel the legacy of many years of MSC presence and missionary service. Today, it is home to a centre that supports vulnerable young people, offering them a safe space for education and personal development. There, I shared time with a group of confreres—most of them older—who continue to carry forward inspiring projects that support and animate the wider MSC Congregation.

We then travelled to the oasis of Steinerskirchen, a place of peace, contemplation, and sustainable living. The confreres there practice alternative agriculture and welcome a variety of groups who come to take part in different community-based programmes. It is a place that continues to inspire hope and communion with creation.

On the way back to Salzburg, we stopped at the Haus der Begegnung (“House of Encounter”), where Fr. Norbert Rutschmann, MSC, carries out his ministry. This centre promotes an integrated spirituality, where the human, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of life are woven together in a path of healing, discernment, and inner growth. Faithful to the charism of the Heart of Jesus, it is a space where people can encounter themselves, God, and others in an atmosphere of trust, deep listening, and openness to the Spirit. The centre also trains facilitators who accompany others through this same integrative vision of the Gospel and the human person.

Later, I visited the MSC communities in Salzburg and Freilassing. In both places, our confreres—including some retired—continue to give generously in service of the mission. These communities house the Provincial Administration, the Financial Office, and the Privatgymnasium der Herz-Jesu-Missionare, the Province’s school. Through the presence of MSC members, diocesan priests in residence or formation, and the children, youth, families, and staff of the school, the charism and spirituality of the Heart are clearly alive and relevant today.

During my visit, I had the joy of taking part in the school’s pilgrimage to Maria Kirchental. It was a deeply enriching experience of faith, accompaniment, and community.

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Fr. Michael Huber (Provincial) and to all the confreres for their warm welcome and for making this accompaniment possible.

This Province remains deeply connected to the life of the whole Congregation—not only through its generous support of projects around the world, but above all through the genuine interest it shows in the life and mission of the entire MSC family.

Abzalon Alvarado, MSC (Guatemala)