EUROPE/AUSTRIA - Father Karl Wallner: "Faith grows together with the willingness to help others"

Thursday, 25 June 2026 pontifical mission societies evangelization missionary animation

AUSTRIA

2026-06-25
Father Karl Wallner: "Faith grows together with the willingness to help others"

2026-02-26
"The spirituality of the Pontifical Mission Societies" at the center of the meeting of European Directors

2023-11-07
"Austria On Mission": missionaries and their commitment at the center of the initiative now in its fourth edition

2023-09-28
A musical that tells the story of Blessed Jaricot delights the audience Vienna

2023-04-18
Blessed Jaricot, "spark" of missionary passion all over the world

2023-01-04
Benedict XVI to Missionary Childhood: "I see in you little collaborators at the service that the Pope provides to the Church and to the world"

Vienna (Fides News Agency) - "My experience is that fundraising and faith-raising are ultimately one and the same, because faith grows together with the willingness to help others." These are the words of Father Karl Wallner, a Cistercian religious who is about to conclude his mission as National Director of the Austrian Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS). Looking back on the 10 years spent at the national direction of the PMS, Father Wallner recalls that from the beginning of his mandate, the spiritual dimension of Missio Austria (the Austrian network of the PMS, founded in 1922) was strongly present and closely linked to its pontifical identity. What needed to be done was to increase the awareness of the PMS among the laity, as well as among priests and men and women religious, and at the same time work on some key points that would effectively and concretely communicate the efforts on the work done in support of the missions. "Austrians needed to learn about the areas in which Missio works and provides support," comments Father Wallner, outlining the significant progress made in communications during his tenure. Constant work through traditional media was combined with a presence on new media platforms, the creation of a television studio where the Eucharistic celebration is broadcast daily, as well as programs aimed at all age groups, and considerable visibility on social media.
Among the most successful initiatives is "God Can," a prayer and solidarity initiative inspired by the example of Blessed Pauline Jaricot, founder of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith and the Living Rosary. Jaricot relied on prayer, information, and charitable donations, and her beatification in 2022 provided an opportunity to rediscover her charism. The same applies to support for seminaries. Each donor prays daily for a seminarian and supports him through a monthly contribution. "The driving force behind all the activities undertaken over the years was the awareness of the mission we were carrying out," explains Father Wallner. Today, Missio Austria supports more than 730 pastoral, medical, social, and educational projects every year in some of the poorest regions of the world.
"For me personally, these past ten years have been an intense experience of the universal Church. I witnessed firsthand the lives of people in 25 countries, including Pakistan, the Amazon region, Myanmar, and many African nations. I had the privilege of meeting the “Mission Pope,” Francis, on sixteen occasions. Pope Leo XIV was himself a missionary and also understands the importance of fundraising. On 3 September 2025, when we presented him with a BMW motorcycle from the “Jesus Bikers” for his signature, he sat on it in front of the cameras. The image was seen around the world. The subsequent auction of the motorcycle raised €130,000, enabling us to build several schools in Madagascar.
Father Wallner, who will be succeeded by Father Johannes Laichner on September 1, received the gratitude of the Executive Committee of the Pontifical Mission Societies through the words of Father Tadeusz Nowak, OMI, Secretary General of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith and current interim coordinator of the PMS. He stated: "Today we can only express our heartfelt thanks to Father Wallner, who in these ten years has carried out tireless and fruitful missionary work, and give thanks to God for granting us the grace of having him with us on this journey." (EG) (Fides News Agency, 25/6/2026)