De la part du P. Detlef Bartsch , Provincial d'Allemagne.

Nous avons le grand regret de vous annoncer le décès du Frère

With regret we inform you of the death of Brother

Friedemann Schlecht

Friedemann died last night, 21.10.2007, shortly after midnight at Haigerloch.
He had been sick for some month, suffering on cancer of the intestines.
Despite undergoing several operations, he could not recover.
The Lord had his time for him. May he now rest in peace.

The funeral will probably take place at Haigerloch next Wednesday, 24.10.2007.

Il était âgé de 73 ans dont 45 ans de vie missionnaire au Rwanda, au Tchad et en Allemagne
Prions pour lui et pour les personnes de sa famille.

Bro. Friedemann Schlecht
has died on 21st October 2007 at Haigerloch in Germany

Bro. Friedemann was born into a good catholic family on 8th September 1934 at
Loerrach, Diocese of Freiburg,. He was number 6 of 7 children, 3 boys and 4
girls. His father was a primary school teacher. Friedemann wrote about his
youth: “Our parents insisted on a good religious education. Since we showed
more piety than other children in church, our parents were of the opinion, that
one of the boys should become a priest. Thus I started learning Latin under the
guidance of the parish priest”. From 1947 to 1950 Friedemann attended
secondary school at Konstanz. One day during that time late Fr. Knoll gave a
slides show about the White Fathers. This awoke his missionary interest.

Friedemann went soon after to our school at Haigerloch, from there to Zaitzkofen and Großkrotzenburg to
continue his studies. Since these secondary school studies were quite a burden for him, he decided to go to
Langenfeld, with the intention to become a brother. But he did not want simply to be a ‘narrow-track
missionary’ (‘Schmalspurmissionar’in German); a term he often used in his later missionary life. For this
reason he started a three years apprenticeship training in joinery/carpentry at Singen and worked thereafter
for 4 years in this profession, always attentive not to loose sight of his missionary ideal.

On 1st March 1960 he arrived at Langenfeld to become a brother postulant of the White Fathers. From
there he moved on to the noviciate at Hoerstel on 7th August 1960. There he made his first missionary
oath on 15th August 1962. Then followed three years scholasticate at Mours/France. Towards the end of
this term he received his first missionary appointment for Rwanda.

On 14th October 1965 he took a boat, in company of Fr. Walter Vogt, up to Mombasa, then by car to
Kabgayi in Rwanda. During the first years he was put in charge of several diocesan carpentry shops. Only
2 years after his arrival he found time to learn the local language. From December 1969 on he was given
the task to build the workshop of Rwamagana in the diocese of Kibungo. This workshop, for which he
was responsible until 1982, developed over the years so well, that even the President of Rwanda ordered
his private furniture there. Friedemann also looked after polio-victims in the area for 12 years.

He always had great concern for his employees and for the simple carpenters of the surrounding hills. He
preferred to care for the simple people rather than to run workshops to support financially the dioceses.
His interests were not limited to his profession, he always wanted to meet people, to talk with them and
accompany them as a dedicated missionary. He made his final oath on 15th August 1971 at Muyanga /
Burundi.

In July 1982 he received an appointment to our house at Haigerloch, in order to take over the economate
and to be on the animation team for the then flourishing youth apostolate. But 4 years later he was back
again in Rwanda, where he cooperated in the building up of the refugee camp of Rusumo. Afterwards he
built the carpentry shop of Byumba diocese.

In 1991 Friedemann was asked by the General Council to move to Tschad. He arrived on 3rd June at Doiti
in the Moundou diocese. There again he had to take responsibility of the workshop and the building
constructions of the diocese. At the same time he was asked to give catechists some practical training. In
his letters from Tschad he expressed difficulties of adaptation, of understanding the language and mainly
to cope with hardships of the climate. With a brake for a sabbatical year, he was at Doiti until June 1997.
At Axams/Austria a third confrere was needed. Friedemann was consulted und accepted the offer happily.
He arrived there on 1st July 1997 and remained there until the closure of the house in 1998. Many people
in Austria will remember Friedemann, since he kept regular contacts with friends and benefactors through
visits, distributing the Kontinente-magazine and the WF’s annual calendar.

On 16th October 1998 we find Friedemann again in Haigerloch, to help in the care for the sick confreres
and be of service as a driver. But he established also good relations in the neighbourhood, was in two
choirs, visited elderly people and was a faithful member of the focolare movement.

Never in his life was Friedemann seriously ill. But half a year ago he had to be operated on a burst
appendix. The surgeons discovered cancer of the intestines. Three more operations could not save him. In
the night of 21st October 2007 the Lord called his faithful servant to himself.
Friedemann was buried at Haigerloch on 26th October 2007. May the Lord grant him his eternal reward.

Compiled by Bro. Joe Eberle
.