Helmut Schlegel

OFM
Schlegel in 2017
Born (1943-05-15) 15 May 1943 (age 80)
Riedlingen, Germany
Occupations
WebsiteOfficial website

Helmut Alfons Schlegel OFM (born 15 May 1943) is a German Franciscan, Catholic priest, meditation instructor, author, librettist and songwriter. He is known for writing new spiritual songs (Neues Geistliches Lied), set to music by various composers.

Career

Born Helmut Alfons Schlegel in Riedlingen, he grew up on his parents' farm in Upper Swabia and attended boarding schools of the Franciscans in Riedlingen and in Rottweil. He felt a connection to Francis of Assisi and joined the Franciscan Order. Then he studied philosophy and theology in Monastery Gorheim in Sigmaringen, Monastery Frauenberg in Fulda and Munich and was ordained priest in 1969 in Fulda. An extra-occupational course for meditation and retreat accompanist as well as in meaning-oriented psychology (Logotherapy) complemented his education.[1][2]

Schlegel worked for ten years in Wiesbaden and in other places as chaplain and as minister for young people (Jugendpfarrer). From 1988 he directed the Franziskanisches Zentrums für Stille und Begegnung (Franciscan centre for silence and meeting) in Hofheim am Taunus. In 1998 he was elected the provincial superior of Thuringian Franciscan province. In this function, he was also for six years the president of the German Franciscan missionaries, organized as Missionszentrale der Franziskaner in Bonn. From 2007 until October 2018, he has directed a centre for Christian meditation and spirituality of the Catholic Diocese of Limburg (Holy Cross - Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality (Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität)) at the church Heilig Kreuz in Frankfurt-Bornheim.[1] where worked until June 2019 as a retreat and meditation leader and priestly co-worker.[3] Even after the end of his activity in Bornheim he continues to offer events in the retreat house Hofheim and in cooperation with the Holy Cross – Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality.

Schlegel worked also in the diocese's Arbeitskreis Kirchenmusik und Jugendseelsorge im Bistum Limburg, dedicated to new church music for young people. Schlegel wrote the texts for new spiritual songs (Neues Geistliches Lied, NGL), first in collaboration with the composer and church musician Winfried Heurich. Their song "Der Herr wird dich mit seiner Güte segnen" (The Lord will bless you with his goodness), with music by Thomas Gabriel, was acknowledgeded in a worldwide competition in 1983 as the best entry in German. It was included in the Catholic hymnal Gotteslob as GL 452.[4] Schlegel wrote around 300 NGL,[2] with melodies also by Stephan Sahm [de], Joachim Raabe, Rudolf Schäfer and Sieglinde Weigt, among others.[5]

Schlegel was from 1998 to 2013 the editor of the Franciscan magazines Wege mit Franziskus and Franziskaner. From 2013 he has edited, together with Mirjam Schambeck sf the book series Franziskanische Akzente in the Echter Verlag [de] in Würzburg.[5][6]

Premiere of Laudato si' on 6 November 2016 at the Limburg Cathedral, conducted by the composer Peter Reulein

On a commission by the Diocese of Limburg, he wrote the text for an oratorio with music by Peter Reulein, Laudato si' – Ein franziskanisches Magnificat, published by the Dehm-Verlag in 2016.[7] He structured the work, based on the Magnificat in Latin, in a prologue and five scenes; he included texts by Francis of Assisi who began the praises of his Canticle of the Sun with "Laudato si'", Clare of Assisi and Pope Francis who wrote the encyclical Laudato si'.[7][8]

Selected books

Songs, song books, oratorio

Texts for sacred musical plays

Schlegel wrote the texts for sacred plays with music about the lives of Clare of Assisi and St. Elizabeth.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b Hirt, Beate. "Katholische Kirche im HR – Helmut Schlegel" (in German). Diocese of Limburg. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  2. ^ a b Katting, Heidi (2019). "Mit Herzblut und Leidenschaft – Meditationszentrum Heilig Kreuz verabschiedet seinen langjährigen Leiter (=With heart blood and passion – Holy Cross – Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality bids farewell to its long-standing director)" (in German). Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  3. ^ Katting, Heidi (6 June 2018). "Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität – Team – Über uns (=Holy Cross – Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality – Team – About us)" (in German). Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Nr. 452: Der Herr wird dich segnen" (in German). Sonntagsblatt. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d Madaus, André (2015). "Ein Arzt und ein Franziskaner – Kunst als Verkündigung". Franziskaner – Magazin für Franziskanische Kultur und Lebensart (in German). Idstein: Provinzialat der Deutschen Franziskanerprovinz (Winter): 26–27.
  6. ^ a b c "Franziskanische Akzente / Für ein gottverbundenes und engagiertes Leben" (in German). Freiburg University. 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  7. ^ a b c "Oratorium Laudato si' / Ein franziskanisches Magnificat in 5 Bildern – Für Soli, Chor und Orchester" (in German). Dehm-Verlag. 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  8. ^ Bohnhorst-Vollmer, Anken. "Bewegende Uraufführung / Chöre, Solisten und Orchester musizieren zum Jubiläum des Referats für Kirchenmusik". Nassauische Neue Presse (in German).
  9. ^ "Festkonzert zum Jubiläum des Referates Kirchenmusik / Laudato si' — Oratorium von Peter Reulein (Uraufführung)" (in German). Liebfrauen Frankfurt. 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  10. ^ "Members 2013 / Stephan Sahm" (PDF). academiavita.org. 2016. p. 10. Retrieved 21 October 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Helmut Schlegel.
Neues Geistliches Lied
21st-century hymns in German
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