Church deaths in Vienna: Painful farewell to the wonderful Our Lady

Church deaths in Vienna: Painful farewell to the wonderful Our Lady

Buchengasse 108, 1100 Wien, Österreich - In Vienna, the Catholic community is faced with a drastic change. As the Viennese pastoral theologian Prof. Johannes Pock explained in an interview with the church newspaper "Der Sonntag", the closure of the church in Buchengasse is not a rare phenomenon in the history of religion. On March 1st, the faithful must move from their church in favorites to the nearby church "Queen of Peace". The reason for this painful step: The comprehensive renovation of the old church and the rectory would not be financially sustainable. The sale of the building is therefore essential, as the newspaper reported.

historical background

This situation reflects the challenges with which many parishes are confronted. Pock emphasized that in the past there were already numerous examples during Josephinism where churches were abandoned or used. The current discussion is about the question of whether the financial support for the preservation of the church buildings in relation to the decreasing number of members and resources is. With the decreasing number of believers, the financial means that are necessary for the maintenance of the churches also decrease

On March 1st, the Bishop Vicar Dariusz Schutzki will attend the last Eucharist before the church is closed forever. Although this celebration is not yet a "profanation", since a decree by the Archbishop would be necessary, but the move for the community is a loss. "It is a really painful extract from its church," said Schutzki. He also expressed that further church closings in Vienna cannot be ruled out in the future, which will continue to influence the situation of the churches and their believers.

The parish "Three Wonderful Our Lady" was founded in 1898 and has developed into a center of Catholic life in Vienna over the years. It offers numerous services and activities for the community and is known for its architectural beauty. Even if the church closes, the spiritual support and social help for the needy remains, as can be seen in the report of the parish.

For more information about the church stories and the upcoming changes, visit the articles on Kathpress and Austrian parishes .