Festive welcome for Pastor Michael Birner in Hahnbach

Festive welcome for Pastor Michael Birner in Hahnbach

The Hahnbach community gave its new pastor Michael Birner a warm welcome, who is unparalleled in the city's history. The pageant, which featured a large number of participants and a colorful program, attracted numerous visitors and created a festive atmosphere. From the kindergarten children who performed poems and songs to the various clubs who proudly carried their flags, the entire community was represented.

The celebrations began with an impressive procession of clergy and altar boys that led to the town hall. Michael Birner's installation was duly celebrated under the sounds of market brass and in the presence of citizens from Hahnbach, Schönkirch and Hohenthann, the pastor's last place of work.

Welcome words from the mayor

Mayor Bernhard Linder welcomed the new pastor with great joy and emphasized that Birner had “found his way back to his Upper Palatinate home.” He wished him a lot of strength and wisdom for his new task and presented him with a bouquet of flowers and a beer mug. An entry in the market's Golden Book rounded off the warm welcome.

The “Good Shepherd” kindergarten children from Süß contributed to the festive atmosphere with their performances. Church caretaker Georg Münch and Brigitta Heidlinger, the spokeswoman for the parish council, also welcomed the new pastor before Vice Dean Thomas Helm opened the church door for him.

In the festively decorated parish church, which shone in the colors white and yellow, those present were welcomed by the sounds of trumpets and organs as well as the project choir. Pastor Birner knelt humbly in front of the apse and asked for the community's support in the form of prayers for his upcoming tasks.

In his speech, Vice Dean Thomas Helm recalled the joint ordination to the priesthood 19 years ago and thanked Birner for his commitment. He emphasized the need for accompaniment and support in pastoral care and encouraged the congregation to have trust in the “explosive Holy Spirit”. Helm asked the new pastor about his willingness to serve, which Birner always answered with “I am ready, with God’s help.”

The ceremony reached its climax when Vice Dean Helm and Pastor Birner walked together from the ambo to the altar in prayer. The embrace between the two symbolized the beginning of a new era in the Hahnbach community. The confreres present and the representatives of the parish also joined in this sign of community.

At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, Pastor Birner thanked everyone who accompanied him on his life's journey and expressed his gratitude for the trust placed in him in Hahnbach. He promised to live as part of the community and to be the “salt of the earth” together with Christians. His thanks also went to the participants who were invited to the celebration in the monastery garden.

Church caretaker Georg Münch finally welcomed the new pastor with bread and salt, which symbolizes the hospitality and good wishes for the future.