What's New at Klosterneuburg

The Death of His Holiness Pope John  Paul II

At 10:05 PM on Saturday evening, April 2, as some of the juniors were gathered, the bells of the abbey church and of all the parishes in Vienna and its environs began to ring, including the abbey's "Leopold" bell, the largest bell reserved for funeral processions.  With that we knew that His Holiness the pope had gone home to God.  Of course we immediately offered prayers for the repose of his soul, and the Novice Master led us to the choir chapel for a period of prayer and reflection.  Needless to say, the community here feels his loss keenly.  His tremendous contribution to the life of the Church will never be forgotten.  On Tuesday, April 5 a solemn, pontifical requiem Mass was celebrated for the repose of His Holiness' soul, and on that day the Office of the Dead was also be celebrated by the canons and community.

"Saints of God come to his aid, hasten to meet him, angels of the Lord.  Receive his soul, and present it to God the Most High."

May the Blessed Mother wing him to his eternal rest.

Holy Week

Holy Week was a different experience at the abbey this year, as the abbey church is out of commission for the renovations until the Feast of St. Augustine.  Hence the major celebrations were held either in the Sebastianikapelle or in the Babenbergerhalle (Easter Vigil and the pontifical high Mass on Sunday).  The Babenbergerhalle is the local city convention center.  While it isn't a particularly attractive building, it was large enough to accommodate the crowds and to allow for  a worthy celebration.  It went well and everyone seemed pleased.

It isn't always obvious the kind of work that goes on behind the scenes to prepare for such grand liturgies.  Many of our Holy Week pictures focus on that preparation and the people who are instrumental in helping the people to have such a prayerful experience.

The setting...

Inside of the Sebastianikapelle with the Albrechtsaltar in the background

The long view

14th Century chapter house from Horn, now an antechamber to the Sebastianikapelle

The Babenbergerhalle

And... the interior...hmmmmm.

Holy Thursday

At the Mass of the Lord's Supper, Christ gives us the incomparable gift of the Eucharist, and serves his apostles through the washing of the feet.

At the incensing of the gifts

The washing of the feet

Reposing the sacrament beneath the gothic pieta

Good Friday

The setting and the preparation...

The voice of the bell is silent, the great wooden rattles of the Stift are the only voice to call to prayer	"Is there any suffering so great as my suffering?" Lamentations	Christ at the altar of repose.
Dom Pius, Master of Ceremonies, gives Dom Hugo some last minute instructions before the Passion of the Lord is celebrated.	Dom Theobald checks his camera, so we can share our ceremonies with others	The procession makes its way to the Sebastianikapelle

On Good Friday in Austria...

It is the custom of the altar servers of the different parishes to go around with their Ratschen, or rattles and rattle throughout the town, knocking on the doors and treating parishioners to a horrendous cacophony, followed by a poem, and then another salvo at the end.  They collect money for a charitable cause this way.  Dom Clemens accompanied them on their terrorism through the Stift.

Servers bearing their arms!

The servers visit Doms Leo (seated) and Conrad.

Dom Pius and Andreas Übelbacher, the sacristan, hard at work in preparations as the Ratscher go by.

Holy Saturday

Christ lies in the tomb, and there is an atmosphere of solemn expectation which is tangible in the community.  Meanwhile, intense preparations are underway in the sacristy and at the Babenbergerhalle.  The servers convene for their practice, and Pius checks and rechecks his notes to make sure everything goes according to plan in the new and more complicated setting of the Babenbergerhalle.  Dom Hugo is heard practicing the Exsultet in the Altstift.

The choir has worked long and hard on the splendid music

Hugo incenses the book before singing the Exsultet

The Dean and Dom Daniel attend

A joyful procession back to the sacristy

But it wasn't over yet!  

On Easter Sunday there was a solemn pontifical Mass, as well as the other normal Masses of the Sunday, and in the evening there was solemn pontifical vespers, all of which had to be prepared and practiced.

Xaver Kainzbauer, our Gregorian Chant teacher, prepares the community for the Office of Vespers, so the chant will be worthy of the great feast...and so we don't embarrass ourselves!	Everyone gets to practice, not just novices and juniors!	We were delighted to have Lukas and Maximilian home for the feast days as well.
Theobald prepares to function in the liturgy	Maximilian and Daniel assist Xaver in the chant	A tired Provost presides and is attended by Dom Rudolf and, of course, the omnipresent Pius, who is equally tired!

And finally...

On Sunday, April 3 was the abbatial blessing of Werner Thanecker of Stift Reichersberg.  Our Provost, Dean and Doms Anton, Georg and Clemens made the trip in order to attend the splendid event.  Stift Reichersberg lies in a rural area in Upper Austria, high on a lovely bluff overlooking the Inn River and across it, Bavaria.  The community was excited about their new provost and the celebration was made all the more festive by the high turnout from the local community.  The faith is still strong in these places, and an event like an abbatial blessing in Upper Austria is still a major event.  We were happy to see that even the abbot primate of the Order, Abbot Bitz, was in attendance, as well as a host of other religious and civil dignitaries.

Provost Werner and community made us feel very welcome, and we were impressed by the lively nature of the community and the warmth and kindness of the new superior.  God grant him many years!

Standing room only in the beautiful abbey church of Reichersberg	The new Provost is seated by the bishop on his abbatial throne	A canon of Salzburg cathedral (once a regular canonry!) in procession
The new Provost greets the assembled clergy outside	Provost Eberhard, the predecessor, was much praised in the liturgy for his stewardship of the community	The new Provost of St. Florian, Johannes, with his predecessor, Provost Wilhelm

The Dean, Doms Anton and Georg enjoy the gorgeous weather and festive atmosphere after the Mass

Provost Werner greets the people

Abbot Primate Bitz with Provost Bernhard on their way to the reception

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