Mehrerau Monastery Church: Monks and relics return after renovation!

Mehrerau Monastery Church: Monks and relics return after renovation!

The Cistercian monastery church in Mehrerau shines in new splendor after a year of renovation. With an investment volume of around three million euros, not only were the structure and acoustics of the church, which opened in 1964, improved, but historical relics of important saints were also recruited. Father Maurus describes relics as “living testaments to the faith.” These central spiritual objects are considered role models that show believers how to live their lives to achieve their goals, said Father Prior Henrik. On March 23, 2025, the result of this extensive rehabilitation work was ceremoniously inaugurated, which was a great moment for Abbot Vinzenz Wohlwend: “I am very happy that we have completed this stage.”

A new beginning for Father Prior Henrik

The story of Father Prior Henrik is inextricably linked to the Mehrerau. After a long journey from Croatia, he came to the monastery for the first time in 1998, where he was introduced to the monastic community by Abbot Kassian. Despite a promising career as director of the Croatian Historical Institute, the longing for a life of simple and spiritual belonging in the monastery grew increasingly stronger. According to mehrerau.at He found his purpose at the grave of Saint Anthony in Padua, which led to his return to Bregenz in 2016. There he took on responsible tasks in the monastery and was finally elected prior in 2018.

Father Henrik sees his role as prior not only as a responsibility towards his fellow brothers, but also as an opportunity for inner transformation. “For the needs of interpersonal relationships and spirituality, I need the space of silence that the monastery offers me,” he says. Mehrerau Monastery, now revitalized and strengthened by the return of its monks and important relics, is ready to face new challenges and open itself to future generations.