Christmas without loneliness: This is how mourning consolation and community find!

Christmas without loneliness: This is how mourning consolation and community find!

In the middle of the festive Christmas season, many people in Austria feel isolated and lonely due to grief, separations or blows of fate. The contemplative days, which traditionally be characterized by family and cohesion, often intensify the feeling of loss. The Catholic Church has reacted and initiated various "blessing celebrations" under the motto "Christmas without you". These events, which take place in several places such as Graz and Stegersbach, offer mourners a protected space to allow their emotions and to draw in memory of beloved deceased strength, as the diocese of Eisenstadt describes in detail.

help for lonely

The Caritas, among other things, represented by the café in Feldkirch, organizes activities for people who have to deal with special challenges on the holidays. On Christmas Eve, the Caritas Café provides for a Christmas party for people affected by addiction or homelessness. The station mission in Graz also remains accessible over the holidays to offer homeless people support and social contacts. Another special event is organized by the parish of Liebenau St. Paul in Graz, where single people and couples are invited to celebrate together regardless of their religious affiliation.

For those who are in acute mental need, telephone counseling Austria offers support around the clock under number 142. This is particularly important in times when many people are confronted with isolation and emotional crises. The head of the Vienna Telephone Sympaning emphasizes that the service is accompanied by people in difficult situations, such as loneliness or psychological problems. Furthermore, other advisory services such as the “chat network” of Caritas and the psychiatric crisis service are available to help help during the holidays. These possibilities are a ray of hope for many who need support during this time, whereby people seeking help are advised anonymously and confidentially, as detailed on the pages of Telefonselsorge documented.