November 13, 2024
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Mass for the Late Bishop Franz Kamphaus.
On 2nd November 2024, A solemn Mass was held at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Ndola, Zambia, to pray for the repose of the soul of the late Bishop Franz Kamphaus of Limburg, Germany. Led by the Most Rev. Dr. Benjamin Phiri JCD, Archbishop of Ndola, the service united clergy, laity, and community members in tribute to Bishop Kamphaus, who co-founded the cherished partnership between the Dioceses of Ndola and Limburg. Known for his deep commitment to the poor, Bishop Kamphaus served as a visionary leader and compassionate shepherd. The Mass emphasized solidarity with Limburg, as the Archdiocese of Ndola stood in heartfelt support of their German counterparts. Archbishop Phiri acknowledged Bishop Kamphaus’s enduring legacy, not only in his own diocese but in the lives he touched across continents. Through prayer and remembrance, attendees celebrated the bishop’s lasting influence, affirming their commitment to the partnership he helped establish. May he rest in eternal peace
LIFE HISTORY OF THE LATE BISHOP OF LIMBURG- FRANZ KAMPHAUS Bishop Franz Kamphaus was born on 2nd February, 1932, in Ludinghausen in Germany. He was the last born in a family of five. After the completion of his Secondary Education, Bishop Franz studied Philosophy and Theology in Munster and Munich. On 21st February, 1959, Kamphaus was ordained a priest by the Bishop of Munster, Michael Keller.
In 1968 he received his doctorate from the University of Munster with his thesis, “From exegesis to sermons on the problem of a scriptural proclamation of Easter, miracles and childhood stories.” He taught as a professor of Pastoral Theology and Homiletics in 1972 and he headed the seminary of the Diocese of Munster as Rector in 1973. Franz Kamphaus was appointed as bishop of Limburg on 3rd May 1982, ordained Bishop on 13th June 1982 in the Limburg Cathedral. His Episcopal Motto was “EvangelizarePauperibus” which is translated as “Proclaim the Gospel to the Poor.” As the Bishop of Limburg, Kamphaus served as Chairman for Youth Commission in the Germany EpiScopal Conference for five years. He founded Youth Churches in Frankfurt, Wiesbaden and Limburg, as well as the Holy Cross Meditation Center and the St. Michaels Bereavement Center.
He is fondly remembered by the Germany Church as a Charismatic Preacher, Pious Priest, a committed Bishop devoted to the poor, and as a true Philanthropist. Bishop Kamphaus looked beyond the borders of his own diocese and thought globally, by that he co-founded, together with the late Bishop of Ndola, Dennis H. De-Jong, the Partnership between the Diocese of Ndola then, and the Diocese of Limburg in 1982. This partnership was founded on the spirit of sharing life and faith. Indeed life and faith have been shared in so many ways than one. Even today, we gather to celebrate the life and faith as a partner Diocese.
Kamphaus served as Bishop of Limburg from 1982 to 2007, with significant influence on the Diocese. He died on Monday, 28th October, 2024 in the St. Vincenzstift in Rudeshein-Aulhausen, at the age of 92. He is gone, but not forgotten. His spirit shall continue to live actively in the Limburg-Ndola Partnership. Eternal rest grant unto him oh Lord, and let your perpetual light shine upon him.
