STOHR, ALBERT

Bishop and liturgical leader; b. Friedberg (Oberhessen), Germany, Nov. 13, 1890; d. Seligenstadt, June 4, 1961. He studied theology at Mainz and was ordained there in 1913. From 1914 to 1920 he served as a curate and taught religion. He then pursued higher studies in several German universities and in Rome. He taught Church history (1924) and dogma (1926) at the major seminary of Mainz. In 1935 he was appointed bishop of Mainz, and he became one of the most important German bishops of the war and postwar eras. The German bishops made their youngest member head of the youth apostolate in 1937, and in 1941 (together with Bishop Landersdorfer of Passau) of the liturgical commission. In both capacities Stohr's dynamic, pastoral personality achieved excellence; with a sure hand, he helped to lead the German Catholic youth and the liturgical movement through the crises of the 1940s. He fought vigorously for the maintenance of the privilege of the so-called German high Mass, but he did not live to see it extended by Vatican Council II to the whole world. A third area of his endeavor was the ecumenical dialogue to which he devoted much of his energy and love. He was the first bishop to request and obtain permission to ordain married converts from the Protestant ministry.

Bibliography: j. wagner, Litugisches Jahrbuch 11 (1961) 193–202. l. lenhart, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 9:1086–87.

[b. fischer]