Helmut Schlegel | |
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 Schlegel in 2017 | |
| Born | 15 May 1943 Riedlingen, Germany |
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| Website | Official 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.
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 , 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 in Würzburg. [5] [6]
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]
Schlegel wrote the texts for sacred plays with music about the lives of Clare of Assisi and St. Elizabeth. [10]
The Holy Cross Church is a Catholic church in the Bornheim district of Frankfurt am Main (Germany). It is similar in design to the Frauenfriedenskirche in Frankfurt-Bockenheim. It was built by Martin Weber from 1928 to 1929, on a rise then known as Bornheimer Hang. The church is an unusual example of interwar modernism as sacred Bauhaus architecture.
Geist und Leben. Zeitschrift für christliche Spiritualität is a bimonthly review published by the German Society of Jesus. Dedicated to the theology of spiritual life, Christian mysticism, and the spiritual practice thereof, it is the only review its kind in German. It appears six times per year, with 80 pages each issue.
Lothar Zenetti was a German Catholic theologian, priest, and author of books and poetry. In Frankfurt, he was both a minister for young people and a parish priest. He was also active on radio and television. His songs, for example the popular "Das Weizenkorn muss sterben" and "Segne dieses Kind", appear in both Protestant and Catholic hymnals.
Peter Reulein is a German composer, organ improviser, academic teacher and church musician, from 2000 at the church Liebfrauen in Frankfurt am Main. In 2016 he composed for the Catholic Diocese of Limburg the Franciscan oratorio Laudato si'.
Neues Geistliches Lied, abbreviated NGL, is a music genre of songs in German intended for church usage, and based on contemporary lyrics and with music by contemporary composers.
Eugen Eckert is a German social worker, minister, singer-songwriter and academic teacher. He is known for his lyrics for new spiritual songs, and his oratorios and musical plays.
The Holy Cross – Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality is an institution of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Limburg, Germany. It is based at the Holy Cross Church in Frankfurt-Bornheim and is dedicated to services, contemplation, meditation, retreats, counseling, and other events such as concerts.
Winfried Heurich is a German organist and composer. He was director of church music at Liebfrauen, Frankfurt from 1966 to 2000 and composed music for more than 400 songs.
Laudato si' is an oratorio composed in 2016 by Peter Reulein on a libretto by Helmut Schlegel. Subtitled Ein franziskanisches Magnificat, it includes the full Latin text of the Magnificat, expanded by writings of Clare of Assisi, Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis. The composer set it for five soloists, children's choir, Choralschola, mixed choir, symphony orchestra and organ. It was published in 2016 by the Dehm Verlag, and was premiered on 6 November 2016 at the Limburg Cathedral, conducted by the composer.
Peter Janssens was a German musician and composer who wrote and performed incidental music for several theatres, and songs and musicals of the genre Neues Geistliches Lied, a pioneer of Sacropop. He worked at a German theatre in Buenos Aires, set several works by Ernesto Cardenal to music and composed in 1992 a passion music, in memory of 500 years after the European invasion in Latin America.
Patrick Dehm is a German Catholic theologian, supervisor and clinical Gestalt therapist. He and his brother founded the Eugen Dehm foundation, supporting a holistic health concept, in memory of their father.
A Choralschola, known simply as schola, is a choir for singing Gregorian chant or plainsong. It consists traditionally of only men, but more recent groups sometimes also include female voices. A schola often performs in uniform. The group may perform in the liturgy of church services, but some specialized ensembles also perform concerts and recordings, such as the Choralschola der Wiener Hofburgkapelle and the Schola Gregoriana Pragensis.
Joachim Raabe is a German church musician and a composer of sacred music, especially of the genre Neues Geistliches Lied.
"Glauben können wie du" is a Christian poem by Helmut Schlegel, written in 2009, and made a hymn of the genre Neues Geistliches Lied with a melody by Joachim Raabe the same year. It addresses Mary, the mother of Jesus, to be imitated living the theological virtues of faith, hope and love. The song is included in song books and the Catholic hymnal Gotteslob.
"Meine engen Grenzen" is a Christian poem by Eugen Eckert, written in 1981, and made a hymn of the genre Neues Geistliches Lied with a melody and setting by Winfried Heurich the same year. The song, bringing one's shortcomings and limitations before God and praying for a broader perspective, is part of the common German Protestant and Catholic hymnals, and of other songbooks.
"Der Herr wird dich mit seiner Güte segnen" is a Christian poem by Helmut Schlegel. It became a hymn of the genre Neues Geistliches Lied with a 1998 melody by Thomas Gabriel, part of the German Catholic hymnal Gotteslob.
Johannes M. Schröder is a German organist, composer and Catholic church musician. After several years responsible for the church music at the Westerwälder Dom, he moved to St. Bonifatius, Wiesbaden. He is also a lecturer and a music editor.
"Auf zu neuen Horizonten" is a Christian hymn with text by Helmut Schlegel, and music by Stephan Sahm. It is of the genre Neues Geistliches Lied. The song is included in the Catholic hymnal for young people, Ein Segen sein, and other songbooks.
Bernardin Schellenberger is a German Catholic theologian, priest and former Trappist. He has worked as a writer and translator, focused on spiritual topics and the monastic tradition.
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