Alexander Ehrenfried: A new permanent deacon for Altdorf!

Alexander Ehrenfried: A new permanent deacon for Altdorf!

An important step for Alexander Ehrenfried: On Saturday, October 18th, the 39-year-old father will be ordained as a permanent deacon in the Church of St. Birgitta in Gnadenberg. This consecration not only represents a personal highlight for Ehrenfried, but is also a sign of the living diaconal tradition in the Roman Catholic Church, which was reorganized and revitalized after the Second Vatican Council. Loud Diocese of Eichstätt The consecration will be carried out by Archbishop Emeritus Dr. Ludwig Schick carried out.

The path to the diaconate was anything but straight for Ehrenfried, who was born in Neumarkt. He initially worked as a mechanic and technician in industry, but he soon felt that he was missing something “meaningful” in his life. This led him to religious education at the University of Eichstätt, where he not only met his wife Franziska, but also laid the foundation for his future position. They completed their bachelor's degree together in 2020 and married a year later.

A life between family and vocation

Ehrenfried's everyday life is characterized by the balance between family and the upcoming diaconate. Together with his wife, a trained community officer, the father of two - Emilian (3 years old) and Kilian (1 year old) - looks after the small children while at the same time fulfilling his professional obligations in the Altdorf parish association. Here he teaches Catholic religious education in a middle school and a primary school. He will also take on tasks in children's pastoral care and work with seniors, as well as giving communion to the sick.

With a view to his ordination as a deacon, Alexander Ehrenfried invested three years in training, which was imparted to him by experienced deacons from the Eichstätt diocese. He was finally accepted as a candidate for ordination in the spring of 2025 and is now the only new permanent deacon of the year. There are currently 14 active permanent deacons throughout Bavaria who carry out their service both full-time and alongside their civilian job, according to information from Wikipedia.

The permanent diaconate is changing

The permanent diaconate has a long tradition that goes back to the beginnings of Christianity. The word “deacon” comes from ancient Greek and means something like “servant” or “helper”. Originally intended as a preliminary step to the priesthood, the diaconate was revived after Vatican II and today takes on an independent role in church life. Permanent deacons are responsible for various tasks ranging from preaching to the ministry of charity to the celebration of the faith.

What is particularly exciting is that married men can be ordained as deacons and are therefore not subject to celibacy. This flexibility allows the permanent deacon to be active in both church and civic life. Like Alexander Ehrenfried, a growing number of interested people from various professions will continue to dedicate their hearts and time to the traffic light parish in the future.

Alexander Ehrenfried is ready to take on his new challenge and use his commitment to provide a valuable service in the community. However, his journey is just the beginning, and it will be interesting to see what further chapters will follow in his diaconal career.