Mill Hill Missionary Father Fritz Neuhauser dies at the age of 89

An 89-year-old Mill Hill Missionary priest died due to massive cardiac arrest in Telangana, a South Indian state, on February 1.

Telugu church mourns Father Fritz Neuhauser's death, a well-known priest among the Clergy of Andhra and Telangana.

Father Fritz's health went downhill rather rapidly in the last four months. On February 1, 2022, Fritz was admitted at St. Theresa's Hospital, Hyderabad, at 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon.

The priest was placed in an intensive care unit. At around 4:35 p.m., he had a cardiac arrest and he returned to the Lord, bringing with him 65 years of faithful and loving service as a Mill Hill Missionary.

Father Fritz's funeral is scheduled for Thursday, February 3, 202,2, in Hyderabad, India.

The priest came to Andhra and Telangana to give Christ. The priest learned the Telugu language, respected the culture and served the Telugu people.

The Mill Hill missionary taught Liturgy to the seminarians.

On September 5, 1932, He was born in Bruneck, Brixen, Italy, to Joseph Neuhauser and Anna Koessler. He did his secondary education in Brixen, where he also finished his Philosophy in 1953.

He continued his missionary training in Mill Hill, where he finished in 1957. On May 7, 1956, he took his perpetual oath and was ordained a priest on July 7, 1957, at the Chapel of St. Joseph's College by Cardinal William Godfrey of Westminster.

In 1961, he was appointed to Organising Work in Absam and two years later, he served as Curate in Neuziders. In 1965, he did a Liturgy Diploma Course in Trier, Germany.

He was appointed to teach at St. John's Regional Seminary in Hyderabad, India. From 1967 to 1983, he was a full-time professor in Liturgy and Formator at St. John's Regional Seminary.

Father Fritz gave all his time and energy to building the local Church in India, especially in forming the local priests at St. John's Regional Seminary. A number of his own students became Bishops.

He willingly accepted the invitation of Father Joseph Knecht SJ to work for a year at Navjyosi Nihetan Pastoral Centre in Patna, in Central India, where he collaborated with the liturgical department.

From 1985 to 1989, he did pastoral work in a rural parish in Nurinthal (Hyderabad Archdiocese) while maintaining contact at St. John's Regional Seminary as a visiting professor in Liturgy.

Father Fritz played an important role in pioneering and establishing the Mill Hill recruitment program in India, which over the years has borne fruits. He also got involved in Mill Hill administration based in St. Joseph's House, Ramanthapur.

With inputs from Arvind Bandi.