Mechernich/Blankenheim/St. Tönis – A large mourning community, including Christians from the community of St Matthias Blankenheim/ Dahlem and community leader and parish priest Andreas Züll as well as members of the Ordo Communionis in Christo from Mechernich, bid farewell to the deceased community priest and parish priest Gregor Stepkes (95) in the parish church of St Cornelius in St Tönis.
The mortal remains of the clergyman, student and CAJ chaplain and former dean of Viersen, who was widely known in the diocese of Aachen, were then laid to rest in the priest's rostrum of the church cemetery in St. Tönis. The main celebrant of the exequies was Father Klaus Stephan Gerndt, a confrere of Gregor Stepkes from the Jesus Caritas priestly community.
Father Patrick Mwanguhya from the Communio in Christo in Mechernich concelebrated, the sermon was preached by Deacon Manfred Lang from Mechernich, the deputy of the Communio Superior General Jaison Thazhathil. Pastor Andreas Züll and a number of other priests were also present at the service. Hermann Stepkes, a nephew of the deceased, delivered the intercessions.
70th anniversary of ordination
In his sermon, Deacon Lang, who is also a journalist, recalled an interview he had conducted with Father Gregor Stepkes in 2011, which was more like a very personal and candid confession of faith than a question-and-answer session. In it, he described his first encounter with the founder of Communio, Mother Marie Therese: ‘It was like a miracle...’
The Communio priest, who had quietly celebrated his 70th anniversary of ordination last year, died in the ‘Haus Effata’ of the Ordo Communionis in Christo in Blankenheim, where he had lived for almost two decades - for a long time with his sister Maria - and where he was a chaplain. ‘He knew and called all his fellow residents by name,’ says Deacon Lang: ’Like the good shepherd...’
‘He fell asleep quietly and gave his immortal soul back to God,’ wrote Superior General Jaison Thazhathil, who is currently on a visit to Communio facilities in India: ’We mourn the loss of this wonderful priest and witness of God, who meant so much to our community and many of our residents.’ At his 65th anniversary of ordination, Gregor Stepkes had asked Father Jaison to be the celebratory preacher: ‘Don't talk about me, talk about the Eucharist and the priesthood’. That was really important to him.
The last of 22 newly ordained
‘Gregor Stepkes became a wise old man, a man of God who exchanged a certain degree of pride, which he attributed to himself, for humility,’ it was said at the exequies: ‘He came from a thoroughly Catholic home, but also knew about the guilt and inadequacy that a long life as a pastor entails.
Stepkes was the last of 22 deacons to be ordained as priests in Aachen Cathedral on 28 February 1953. At his exequies, the biblical passage from which he was ordained was recalled: ‘And the Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him who hears say, Come,’ it says in the Secret Revelation: ‘And let him who thirsts come. And whosoever will, let him receive living water freely.’
‘Gregor Stepkes heard this call and responded to it. He brought it to others, became a role model and friend to many, and even healed them, just as Jesus healed the deaf-mute in the Gospel with the call ‘Effata’ = open up,’ continued Deacon Lang in his sermon.
Gregor Stepkes had opened himself completely to God. On 23 February 1971, he made his perpetual promise in the Unio Jesus Caritas community of priests and on 1 September 1977 in Mechernich-Holzheim, he placed the promise of charity in the hands of Mother Marie Therese. Manni Lang: ‘Gregor Stepkes believed in her extraordinary founding charism: “The voice of God speaks to us in her writings.”’
Bishop Reger was his chaplain
Gregor Stepkes was able to celebrate his Iron and Diamond Jubilee as a priest in the parish church of Alendorf with the Aachen Auxiliary Bishops Karl Reger and Dr Johannes Bündgens as well as his friend Superior General Karl-Heinz Haus. Reger also died a few weeks ago. In his time, he was chaplain to Father Stepkes in Viersen.
In the interview mentioned at the beginning of this article, Gregor Stepkes listed ten central statements of his life, according to Lang. The sixth was: ‘I experience my leadership function as a priest at the altar. And only at the altar! I have also realised this in the priestly communities: No one should think they are the boss!’
Points one and two of his list were: ‘I bear witness to the charism of Mother Marie Therese. I allow myself to be led by her.’ And: ‘My whole life is gratitude to God. Because he has given me this life. He is the centre.’
pp/Agentur ProfiPress