Mrs. Irmgard and her husband Hans began their volunteer work in 1993, leading the Freundeskreis Villingen-Schwenningen aid organization for decades. Over the past 30 years, she fostered strong connections with Caritas in Nagyvárad and other aid organizations in Romania. During their visits to Romania, they stayed with Bishop József Tempfli, and their friendship continued with Bishop László Böcskei. Through collaboration with various local and international groups, including the Women's Association and the Bruder Klaus parish group, she coordinated numerous aid shipments, particularly supporting youth.
Mrs. Rösch was a steadfast supporter of the children's hospital in Nagyvárad, maintaining a close relationship with Dr. Kecskeméi. In the challenging times following the political changes in Romania, she procured hospital beds and infant formula, providing crucial assistance to sick children when resources were scarce. Her support extended to the fire department in Bihor County, the disabled, and the injured, supplying them with wheelchairs and other necessary equipment. She also maintained a good relationship with the Mallersdorf Sisters and supported homes for the elderly and disabled in Timișoara and Brașov. She organized tours for tourists and officials to promote and endear Romania to foreigners.
Mrs. Irmgard had a profound love for Romania, its people, and its landscapes. She wrote exceptional articles about her travels for the German press, which helped build new connections and garner support for the Diocese of Nagyvárad. She regularly collected Christmas food packages for Caritas beneficiaries and maintained a strong relationship with the German Democratic Forum, providing many educational materials for German learners in Bihor County. She often accompanied aid shipments herself and visited us two or three times a year as long as her health allowed.
Irmgard Rösch was born on June 16, 1934, and experienced the horrors and deprivations of World War II as a child, which fueled her lifelong commitment to helping the sick and needy. For her, charity was a family affair. Married in 1957, her husband Hans served as an officer in the fire department, and they had several children. She first visited Romania after the 1989 revolution by chance, substituting for a journalist to accompany an aid shipment. The experience left such a profound impact on her that she became a permanent volunteer, soon involving her husband and children in the charitable activities. One of their sons, for example, helped renovate the roof of the St. Joseph Center chapel with a group of craftsmen.
In 1991, she was a founding member of Freundeskreis Villingen-Schwenningen and became its leader two years later. After Hans passed away in 2015, she continued to lead the organization alone. In May 2001, the Villingen-Schwenningen municipality awarded her the Cross of Honor for her work. In 2015, she received the Diocese of Nagyvárad's Medal of Merit on the 25th anniversary of Caritas and the Archdiocese of Freiburg's Medal of Merit.
We last met her in October of last year when she hosted a Caritas delegation at her home. She proudly demonstrated the well-organized efforts of her volunteer group in collecting, packing, and sending aid shipments to the Diocese of Nagyvárad. Despite her declining health, she directed the work with the same bright eyes, cheerful smile, and steady hand as when we first met her three decades ago. She told us she had no intention of retiring and planned to continue her charitable work until her last breath. And so she did, making countless lives better through her activities.
May she rest in peace. The team at Caritas Catolica will never forget her.
