Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Roma (Agenzia Fides) - German born Father Dieter Gahlen, Superior General of the Mariannhil Missionaries CMM died at the age of 56 on 24 January, in hospital in Rome where he had been in care since January 3. The funeral will be held on 5 February in the chapel of the CMM General House in Rome, 91 Via San Giovanni Eudes. Father Gahlen will be buried in the ancient Teutonic Cemetery within the walls of Vatican City.
Father Dieter Gahlen was born on 8 October 1948 at Kirchhellen, Muenster Diocese, in Germany. After school he studied philosophy and theology at Würzburg. He entered the Congregation of the Mariannhill Missionaries in Riedegg Austria, and made his first vows in 1971. After a period in London, Britain, to learn English he went to St. John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria South Africa for further studies in theology and later obtained a degree at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. On 13 December 1975 he was ordained a priest at his home parish church in Feldhausen and the following year he returned to South Africa where he worked in various mission stations in the diocese of Umtata: Mount Fletscher, Shepherds Hope, Marialinden and in the last five years at Mariazell.
In 1985 he was transferred to Mariannhill, CMM head-quarters in South Africa. His main task there was for the next 15 years the directorship of St. Wendolin’s Development undertaking. During this time he was also school chaplain of St. Francis College (high school) and worked as editor of the Zulu weekly UMAFRIKA. In the diocese of Mariannhill he was Episcopal Vicar for Development Justice and Peace. He was an adviser to the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference on land issues.
At the beginning of 2001 Fr. Dieter had been elected Provincial Superior of the Province of Umtata. In the same year he made a sabbatical at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, USA and in June 2002 he went back to South Africa. At the General Chapter in October 2002 he was elected Superior General of the Congregation. On the 3rd of January 2004 he had to be hospitalised due to serious ill health. Up to the last day doctors tried to bring healing to our Superior General but then he died peacefully on 24th January 2004.
The Congregation of the Mariannhill Missionaries was founded in South Africa in 1909. Today it has 397 in 37 communities. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 29/1/2004; lines: 27; words: 351)
