Otto Hopfenmüller
The priest and missionary from a village near Bamberg is known throughout Meghalaya as the man who brought the Catholic faith to northeast India exactly 130 years ago.
Life in the Diocese of Bamberg
Lorenz Hopfenmüller was born in 1844 in Weismain, about 50 km from Bamberg, and was ordained a priest in Bamberg. He became a founding member and editor of the magazine “Bamberger Volksblatt”, which was very politically critical. This earned him several stays in prison.
After these changes, which took a toll on him physically and emotionally, he was appointed as a pastor in Reichmannsdorf and Seußling, where he fought intensively for the rights of poor people.
Life in Rome
After the death of his parents in 1884 (father) and 1887 (mother), he joined the order of the “Catholic Teaching Society” (later: “Society of the Divine Savior” and since then known as “The Salvatorians”), whose headquarters are in Rome It was always his heart's desire to go on missions. Based on the holy missionary bishop Otto of Bamberg, he chose the religious name Otto.
Departure for India
In 1890 he set off for Assam/Northeast India. The conditions were extremely poor. He lived very spartanly, ate very poorly, and worked very hard. The climatic conditions were also very adverse - cold nights, very hot days with strong sunlight. Father Otto Hopfenmüller learned the people's language, Khasi, came into contact with the people and did not spare himself. And that was exactly his downfall: after just half a year, he died of meningitis at the age of 46.
Adoration to this day
To this day, Father Otto Hopfenmüller is greatly revered in northeast India. The number of Catholics grew from around 250 back then to over 2 million today. His remains were moved to the capital Shillong in 2001. The grave site is right next to the large cathedral. His veneration continues to grow today.
