‘One of the most valuable services of the Church’
In Passau, the telephone counselling service [Telephonseelsorge: www.telefonseelsorge.bistum-passau.de] is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. At a festive service in the parish church of St. Paul, Bishop Dr. Stefan Oster SDB thanked all full-time and volunteer staff for their faithful service.
In his sermon, the bishop focused on the reading from the First Letter of John, ‘God is love,’ and Jesus’ words from the Gospel of Matthew, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened.’ Both texts are ‘incredibly comforting – but also challenging.’ When it says that perfect love casts out fear, this is ‘quite a tall order,’ according to Bishop Oster. Similarly, Jesus’ assurance that his burden is light, even though he himself speaks of the cross.
To interpret this tension, the bishop referred to King Solomon’s request for a ‘hearing heart.’ This attitude is also central to telephone counselling. ‘A listening heart is like an open door that a person can enter without being judged or condemned.’ Real listening can be exhausting, Bishop Oster emphasized, but the art lies not in quick answers, but in inner openness. For him, Jesus is ‘the greatest listener who ever walked this earth’.
In conclusion, the bishop praised the telephone counselling service as ‘one of the most valuable in the Church’, as it offers an open ear to everyone. The second part of the celebration took place in the St. Valentin ballroom. The deputy head of the telephone counselling service, Sabine Müller, led the programme and spoke with guests who have rendered outstanding services to the telephone counselling service. Robert Kabuye and his family provided musical accompaniment. The anniversary celebrations ended in a relaxed atmosphere at the banquet that followed. Wolfgang Bayer, volunteer in the Telephonseelsorge in Passau.
On the website of the Marists of Europe, you will find more detailed reports, including an article by Alois Greiler about the beginnings of the Marists in Passau and the start of the telephone counselling service. There is also a video link to mark the 50th anniversary.
Wolfgang Baier, volunteer at the Telephone Counselling Service
