Pucher had a medical problem while away and was not able to be saved. Age-wise, he was 84.
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| Pastor Wolfgang Pucher |
The VinziWerke Österreich reported on Thursday that the founder of the VinziWerke, Wolfgang Pucher, had passed away on Wednesday. According to the program, the 84-year-old experienced a medical emergency while on holiday in Croatia but was unable to be saved despite receiving prompt assistance.
He was regularly referred to as the "Graz poor pastor" due to his social engagement. He established housing and assistance programs for the poor and homeless in Graz and other places. He has won several accolades for his dedication to the community.
A family of artisans gave birth to Wolfgang Pucher on March 31, 1939, in Hausmanstätten, close to Graz. He joined the Graz Lazarist Congregation in 1958 after finishing high school, and in 1963 he received his priestly ordination.
Pucher served from 1969 to 1973 at the Austrian St. George's College in Istanbul after serving as a chaplain and teacher for a while. He served as pastor at Graz-St. Vincent starting in 1973.
The young Vinzenzgemeinschaft Eggenberg was established in 1990, and Pucher began a straightforward and effective relief operation in 1991 with the "Vinzibus," which provided food contributions to the less fortunate every evening. 1993 saw the opening of the "VinziDorf" in Graz-St. Leonhard, where squatters took shelter in shipping containers. Other Austrian cities and districts thereafter launched comparable programs.
The beggars from Slovakia's Hostice region who came to Graz as Roma caused the priest special anxiety. He developed the "VinziPasta" initiative, a pasta business in Hostice with which the local women may work from home, to provide them the chance to make money.
When the state of Styria outlawed beggars in 2011, his opposition raised a fuss. Up until the Constitutional Court reversed the prohibition in 2013, Pucher had reported and assisted additional suspects.
In 2012, at the Essl Museum in Klosterneuburg, he received the "Essl Social Prize" for his lifetime's work. He invested the one million euro prize money on a novel approach to homeless residential care in Salzburg.
He marked his 40th anniversary as a parish priest and his 50th anniversary as a priest in 2013 respectively. He was awarded the Silver Decoration of Honor in 2015 for his contributions to the Austrian Republic.
Source: DiePresse