On Sunday, February 27, seven priests from the Würzburg diocese will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their ordination: Pastor Franz Kraft (Erlenbach am Main), Pastor Alfred Kraus (Würzburg), Pastor Markus Krauth (Aschaffenburg), Pastor Matthias Lotz (Höchberg), Pastor Gregor Mühleck (Gochsheim), Canon Monsignor Dietrich Seidel (Würzburg) and Pastor Bernhard Stuhler (Würzburg). Bishop Paul-Werner Scheele ordained them as priests on February 27, 1982 in Würzburg’s Kiliansdom. The press service of the Episcopal Ordinariate provides information about this.
Pastor Franz Kraft (66) is the head of the parish community “Christ, the Vine – Erlenbach am Main” and pastor in the pastoral area of Erlenbach am Main. Kraft was born in Lohr am Main in 1955. After graduating from high school in Lohr am Main, he studied theology in Würzburg and Bonn. Chaplain was Kraft in Aschaffenburg-Sankt Gertrud, Ochsenfurt-Sankt Andreas and Würzburg-Heiligkreuz. In 1986 he was appointed pastor of Dettingen. From 1987 to 1995 he was also a youth pastor for the deanery of Alzenau. From 1995 he was Dean and from 2000 to 2008 Deputy Dean of the Alzenau Deanery. In 1998 he also became pastor of Großwelzheim. In 2009, Kraft moved to the parishes of St. Peter and St. Paul in Erlenbach am Main and Mechenhard with the Streit branch and the Erlenbach-Sankt Josef curate. Kraft has been a member of the Schoenstatt Priests’ Association since 1980.
Pastor Alfred Kraus (66) is the head of the parish community “Sankt Sebastian, Heuchelhof and Sankt Josef, Rottenbauer” and pastor of the pastoral area of Würzburg South-West. Kraus was born in Unterafferbach in 1955. After graduating from high school in Aschaffenburg, he studied theology in Würzburg and Freiburg. Kraus was chaplain in Eisingen, Hammelburg and Gauaschach. In 1984 he also became administrator of Langendorf and Westheim. From 1985 he worked as cathedral chaplain and regional youth pastor. In 1988 Kraus was appointed pastor of Kirchlauter. In 1995 he was elected Deputy Dean of the Ebern Deanery. In 1998 Kraus moved to the Würzburg seminary as a spiritual director. From 2001 to 2004 he was also diocesan family minister. In 2004 Kraus became parish administrator of the Würzburg parishes of Sankt Sebastian, Heuchelhof and Rottenbauer. In January 2005 he took over the management of the newly established parish community “Sankt Sebastian, Heuchelhof and Sankt Josef, Rottenbauer”. Since September 2021, this has also included the Reichenberg branch with Albertshausen, Lindflur and Uengershausen. From 2005 to 2014 he was also spokesman for the Council of Priests of the Diocese of Würzburg.
Pastor Markus Krauth (67) is the coordinating pastor of the parish community “Maria Frieden” in the pastoral area of Aschaffenburg. Krauth was born in 1954 in Kahl am Main. After graduating from high school in Alzenau, he became a reserve lieutenant in the Bundeswehr after eighteen months as a paramedic and then studied theology in Würzburg and Tübingen. Kaplan was Krauth in Mömlingen and Gerolzhofen. In 1984 he first became parish administrator, in 1985 pastor of Ebertshausen and also curate of Reichmannshausen and youth pastor for the deanery of Schweinfurt-Nord. In 1986 he also became pastor of Hesselbach. In 1990, Krauth moved to the parish of Aschaffenburg-Maria’s birth. In 2010 he became the coordinating pastor of the newly established parish community “Maria Frieden” in Aschaffenburg.
Pastor Matthew Lotz (66) is the leader of the parish community “Birth of Mary and Saint Norbert – Höchberg” and parish administrator of the parish community “Heiligkreuz, Sankt Elisabeth und Sankt Burkard” in the pastoral area of Würzburg South-West. Lotz was born in Offenbach in 1955 and studied theology in Würzburg and Mainz. Lotz worked as a chaplain in Müdesheim, Kahl am Main and Miltenberg, and from 1985 also as parish administrator in Miltenberg. He took up his first pastorate in Kreuzwertheim in 1986. At the same time he became pastor of Unterwittbach and curate of Röttbach. In 1995 he became youth pastor at the Lohr deanery. In 1996 Lotz moved to Güntersleben as a pastor. In 2002 Lotz became head of the newly established parish community in Güntersleben-Thüngersheim, and in 2003 he was also pastor of Thüngersheim. In 2005 he was also elected deputy dean of the deanery of Würzburg-rechts des Mains. In 2011 and 2012 he was also temporarily parish administrator of the parish of Rimpar and the Kuratie Maidbronn. Since 2015 he has been the head of the parish community “Birth of Mary and Saint Norbert – Höchberg”. In addition, he was temporarily parish administrator of the parishes of Kirchheim and Gaubüttelbrunn in 2019 and 2020. Since October 2021, Lotz has also been the parish administrator of the Heiligkreuz, Sankt Elisabeth und Sankt Burkard parish community.
Pastor Gregor Mühleck (69) is the head of the parish community “Sankt Christophorus im Mainbogen, Gochsheim” and team pastor in the pastoral area of Schweinfurt’s Mainbogen. Mühleck was born in Sulzbach in 1952. After graduating from the Theresianum in Bamberg, he studied theology in Würzburg and Jerusalem. Mühleck completed his pastoral internship in Bad Neustadt, he was chaplain in Alzenau and Würzburg-To Our Lady. In 1985 he became pastor of Obereuerheim and Kuratus of Untereuerheim as well as regional youth pastor for the city and district of Schweinfurt and religion teacher at the Walther-Rathenau secondary school and high school in Schweinfurt. In 1991, Mühleck also took on the task of advising and assisting conscientious objectors. In 1993 he also became the representative for further training in pastoral services and theological adult education in the deanery of Schweinfurt-Nord. In 2004 Mühleck was elected deputy dean and in 2006 dean of the Schweinfurt-Nord deanery. In 2007 he was parish administrator for the parish of Brebersdorf and for Gressthal, Burghausen, Schwemmelsbach, Wasserlosen and Wülfertshausen and from 2008 for the parishes of Ebershausen, Hesselbach, Reichmannshausen and Üchtelhausen (parish community Schweinfurter Rhön). From 2009 Mühleck was also pastor of Gochsheim and Weyer and from 2010 of Sennfeld and thus head of the parish community “Sankt Christophorus im Mainbogen, Gochsheim”. From 2010 to 2015 he again took over the representation in the Schweinfurt Rhön and at times also headed the parish communities of Marktsteinach, Geldersheim and Schonungen.
Canon Monsignor Dietrich Seidel (68) is the religious officer of the Diocese of Würzburg. Seidel was born in Bielefeld in 1953. After graduating from high school in Gießen, he studied theology in Würzburg. Chaplain was Seidel in Wonfurt, Steinsfeld and Dampfach as well as in Lohr am Main-Sankt Michael and Wombach. From 1985 to 1991 he worked as a curate in Ostheim vor der Rhön and Neustädtle and was the regional youth pastor in the deaneries of Rhön-Grabfeld and Bad Neustadt. From 1991 to 2002 Seidel was cathedral vicar, and from 1991 to 1997 he was student chaplain for the Würzburg University of Applied Sciences. He volunteered at the Würzburg Talks Shop until 1999. In 1999, until his move to the Caritas Association in September 2002, he also took over the deputy management of the main department of pastoral care in the bishop’s ordinariate, where he was a consultant for special pastoral care. In 2002, Bishop Scheele appointed him head of the main department for social and charitable services in the ordinariate and chairman of the diocesan Caritas association. Shortly thereafter, Seidel was elected canon. In 2004, Bishop Friedhelm Hofmann also appointed Seidel Deputy General Vicar. In 2006 Seidel was appointed to the Council of Priests. In 2010, Bishop Hofmann appointed him head of the human resources department in the ordinariate. At the same time, Seidel took over the religious department of the Diocese of Würzburg. Since then, Seidel has also been the episcopal representative for the permanent diaconate. On December 31, 2019, he gave up the management of the main department “Personnel”, but is still the religious officer of the Diocese of Würzburg.
Pastor Bernhard Stuhler (68) is pastor of the Juliusspital parish of Sankt Kilian in Würzburg and rector ecclesiae of the Church of the Protection of the Virgin Mary in Vogelsburg (deanery of Kitzingen). Stuhler was born in Schweinfurt in 1953 and comes from Reichmannshausen. After graduating from high school, he studied theology in Würzburg and Munich. Stuhler was chaplain in the parish of Saint Peter and Paul in Großostheim and youth pastor for the deanery of Aschaffenburg-West. In 1984 he became cathedral chaplain in Würzburg. In 1985 he became year pastor of Poppenhausen. In 1986 he also became pastor of Pfersdorf, and in 1992 cathedral vicar. In addition, Stuhler was commissioned as head of company pastoral care and as diocesan pastor for men (until 2005). In 1995 he became director of the Würzburg study seminar Kilianeum, and from 1996 to 2011 he also taught at the Maria Ward School in Würzburg. In 1998, Stuhler became pastor of the parish of Sankt Albert in the Lindleinsmühle district of Würzburg. He has been pastor of the Juliusspital parish in Würzburg since 1999. His tasks include, among other things, pastoral care in the palliative care units and in the hospice, religious instruction in the training of the nursing professions and the further training of doctors and nursing professions in the palliative care academy. In 2020, Stuhler also took over the office of rector ecclesiae of the Church of the Protection of the Virgin Mary on the Vogelsburg.
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