Eckart Höfling (28 October 1936 – 1 March 2014) was a German Catholic priest who worked combating poverty in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. Höfling was born in

Langenprozelten Langenprozelten is an outlying centre (''Stadtteil'') of Gemünden am Main in the Main-Spessart district, in Bavaria, Germany. It lies on the river Main, 40 km northwest of Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region ...

Lower Franconia Lower Franconia (german: Unterfranken) is one of seven districts of Bavaria, Germany. The districts of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia make up the region of Franconia. History After the founding of the Kingdom of Bavaria the state was totally r ...

. In 1949 Eckart Höflich completed his schooling in

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg is ...

and passed the legal clerk exams in 1952. He assumed a position in Karlstadt until 1957, when he joined the Franciscan Order. He was sent to Brazil for the first time in 1959/1960. He studied philosophy and theology and was ordained a priest on December 10, 1966 by the Bishop of Würzburg, Josef Stangl. He was sent to Brazil to lead two parishes there. He was awarded the German

Federal Cross of Merit The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

(''Bundesverdienstkreuz'') for his work in 2007, and the Quadriga Award in 2008.

Projects and Positions

*1972: Director of the Franciscan Spirituality College *1977: Created a social services network in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

He set up social centers in the

favela Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of working-class neighborhoods in Brazil. The term was first used in the Providência neighborhood in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was built by soldiers who had ...

s Vila Ideal and Prainha and organized regular medical care for the inhabitants of the favelas. The money for this project – over 2 million Euros in the past 30 years was given by the German Georg Ludwig Rexroth-Stiftung.Georg Ludwig Rexroth-Stiftung
''Die Projekte Vila Ideal und Prainha in Rio de Janeiro/Brasilien''
(in German) *1986: Created a social services network in

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

*1987: Director of the Franciscian Social Services Network Third Order in Rio de Janeiro.

References

1936 births 2014 deaths German Franciscans 20th-century German Roman Catholic priests Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany {{RC-clergy-stub