In Pace Christi

Bro. Michael Rieger (17.03.1938 – 10.01.2007)
Bro. Michael Rieger was born at Niederalfingen, municipality of Hüttlingen (district of Aalen) on 17 March 1938. His was a large Christian family. He was the youngest of twelve siblings. One of Bro. Michael’s brothers, Anton, also joined the Comboni Missionaries and resides presently with the community of Graz-Messendorf.
From 1944 until 1952 Bro. Michael attended the local primary school in Hüttlingen. After that, he worked on his father’s farm and once a week attended an occupational course for farming. Later, in the postulancy, he opted to be trained as a shoemaker. He, though, did not work for long at this trade, as in the religious community he was soon entrusted with other tasks.
In 1956, after his postulancy, he entered the novitiate in Ellwangen-Josefstal of the Comboni Missionaries, who at that time were called “Missionaries Sons of the Sacred Heart”. In 1958 he took his first temporal vows and on 4 January 1964 he made his final profession. In the communities he was sent to, he worked mainly as caretaker and bursar, especially in Brixen (1958-1960, 1975-1980, 1993-2001). He was also in the community of Josefstal (1960-1967), Neumarkt (1967-1971) and Bamberg (1971-1975; 1986-1993).
In 2001, due to poor health, he went to Ellwangen, where, after a fairly long sickness, he died on 10 January 2007. One of his superiors describes him like this: “He was like a rough diamond; his good humour seemed to be indestructible; he got along with everybody and he was useful for many jobs in the communities where he was.”
As caretaker and bursar he served the communities faithfully in various places. The transferral from Bamberg to Brixen, in 1993, must have been hard on him. The provincial, Fr. Josef Gerner, wrote to him: “Wherever you have worked as a bursar, you found recognition and your performance was praised.”
So his faithful services were seen and acknowledged by the confreres as well as by the superiors. As far as his job of bursar was concerned, he was extremely reliable. He made sure that the confreres would not be lacking in anything.
He had a fondness for poetry; at times he quoted verses from poets familiar to him. With his fine sense of humour he surely gave pleasure to many people. I myself always enjoyed listening to him when he was quoting verses of profound thoughts.
When in 1975 he was transferred to Brixen as assistant bursar, the then Superior General recommended that he took a course in Italian, but he probably thought that it was too late for him to learn another language.
In 1980 - with a special permit from Propaganda in Rome - he was appointed vice superior of the community in Milland-Brixen, a post he surely was not looking forward to, but which he accepted out of obedience. It was a sign that the confreres and the provincial council trusted him.
Now that he has left us, I would like to quote a verse he mentioned once in a letter: “Long gone are the years and the wind is singing its song.” The years of his life are gone by now and the wind will blow over his tomb and sing its song. May the Lord grant him the fulfilment in the heavenly mansions. We will keep him in good memory.
(Fr. Georg Klose)
Da Mccj Bulletin n. 236 suppl. In Memoriam, ottobre 2007, pp. 4-6.