P. Koloman Viertler OSB
After a fulfilled life as a religious and priest, the good Lord has called the Reverend Mr GR KR P. Koloman Viertler OSB Benedictine of Admont Abbey home to himself.
Our confrere was born Anton Viertler on 18 September 1938 in Pichl-Gsies (South Tyrol). He grew up surrounded by his siblings and well looked after by his parents. This connection with his family was important to him throughout his life. During the turmoil of the Second World War, the family moved to Deutschfeistritz (Styria). After compulsory schooling, he transferred to the convent in Admont, where he was ordained at the Benedictine monastery on 14 August 1957. When he was admitted to the novitiate, he was the first novice of the then newly elected Abbot Koloman Holzinger OSB to be given the religious name Koloman. He completed his studies at the University of Salzburg, made his solemn profession in 1961 and was ordained a priest in Admont Abbey Church on the Feast of Hemma, 27 June 1963. His musical talents meant that he worked as a cantor in our community for decades, as director of the Admont church choir (1980 to 1983) and the Mautern church choir (1993 to 2013). From 1966 to 1983, he worked as a music professor at our Stiftsgymnasium and Konvikt.
From 1983 until his retirement in 2013, he served as parish priest of the parish of Mautern im Liesingtal, which was incorporated into Admont Abbey. In addition to this role, he also served as parish priest for the parishes of Kalwang (1988 to 2013), Kammern (2001 to 2013) and Wald am Schoberpass (2009 to 2013) and was deputy dean of the Leoben deanery (1989 to 2002). These many years of blessed work in the Liesingtal, which Father Koloman loved so much, resulted in him being awarded honorary citizenship of the market town of Mautern, the Ring of Honour of Kalwang and the Golden Medal of Honour of the market town of Kammern.
In 2013, he returned to his monastery in Admont, where he soon took over the office of Oblate Rector. In our community, in everyday life, Fr Koloman was a faithful and reliable praying our Liturgy of the Hours, an always fervent celebrant of Holy Mass and a kind-hearted confrere thanks to his willingness to help. Due to his age, he became increasingly frail in recent months, but Fr Koloman always accepted this with patience and composure. His weak heart stopped beating after a femoral neck fracture operation. The abbot and convent would like to thank Fr Koloman's relatives and our convent ladies, especially Silvia Ruschitzka, for their loving care.
God, the Lord of life and death, finally spoke his Amen over the fulfilled life of our confrere on Monday, 2 June 2025.
From Pentecost Sunday, 8 June 2025, 13:00, our confrere will be laid in state in St Joseph's Chapel in Admont Abbey Church.
The wake, which leads into the solemn choral vespers, is on Whit Sunday at 17:00 in Admont Abbey Church. On Whit Monday, 9 June 2025, at 14:00, we will celebrate the holy requiem in Admont Abbey Church, followed by the burial at Admont cemetery.
