The Franciscans of the Immaculate in Austria
by the Franciscans of the Immaculate
Felix Austria! That is what this nation, located in the heart of the Old Continent, was once called. Its fortune and prosperity derived in no small measure from the deep Catholic roots and convictions of its people. In fact, unlike its neighbors Germany and Switzerland, similar in culture and language, Austria was miraculously preserved from the spread of Protestantism, becoming instead, in the modem and contemporary periods, under the guidance of the Hapsburg dynasty, the heart of a multinational empire that faithfully conserved the Catholic religion. A marvelous example of this noble history is given in the person of Blessed Charles of Hapsburg, a witness to and model of a sub lime form of "political" sanctity.
Unfortunately, however, Austria, like many other Catholic European nations, has been stricken in recent decades by a violent process of secularization and by mass religious indifferentism, which has caused a dramatic decline in the practice of religion, and, what's still more troubling, a near-total collapse in religious and priestly vocations. To oppose this phenomenon, here as in other parts of the world, Our Heavenly Mother does not cease to call to her service souls totally consecrated to her, in order to make them collaborators in her mission to bring about "the blessed reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus" in the lives of all her spiritual children. For precisely this reason, the Immaculate has opened the doors of this nation, once so devoted to her, to the family of the Franciscans of the Immaculate.
In March 2002 a group of Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate took up abode in the Ka puzinerkloster in the town of KitzbUhel (archdiocese of Salzburg), one of the best-known tourist destinations in the country, renowned for its ski slopes. Here the Friars are called to continue and to reinvigorate the presence, from the end of the 17th century, of the Franciscan Family in the old friary belonging to the Capuchin Friars that is situated in the heart of this Tirolean town.
The presence of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate is one of prayer and work, with constant availability for the pastoral care of the many "pilgrims" who gather in the church adjacent to the convent. The Lourdes "grotto," tastefully situated in the wall to the right of the church's principal entrance, is very beautiful and attractive, with motifs that recall the original at Massabielle. It provides an atmosphere of recollection and prayer that pervades the brief moment of intimacy that the visitors spend in front of their Heavenly Mother.
As has already been mentioned, professional and amateur skiers, as well as "fans" of the sport, congregate in Kitzbühel. They come not only from every part of Austria, but also from the rest of Europe, America and Asia. Many of them willingly stop at the feet of Our Lady of Lourdes, Who is much venerated in the church of the Friars, pouring forth their filial love in abundance. But not only that! They also entrust their lives to the Mother of God, lives that are increasingly endangered by the untenable logic of consumerism, skepticism and the prevailing relativism. Here the charism of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate shows one of its distinctive features. To ex press it in words that recall Pope Benedict XVI's paternal pastoral concern: in societies that are becoming more and more secularized, the love that comes forth from the heart of God for mankind can pass unnoticed or even be rejected. And very of ten, unfortunately, it is rejected. In this perspective, the fundamental task of the evangelization of culture consists in the challenge to make God visible in the human Face of Jesus. This is the mission of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate in Austria: to make Christ visible through the discrete presence of the Immaculate. This they are doing not with "great" works, since the cultural and social situation there does not permit such as approach. Instead, it is achieved through modest and constant proximity to the person who suffers and who is in great need of relief and comfort, which only God can give in a lasting and life-giving way. Conscious that today it is in the disjunction of Gospel and culture with the exclusion of God from the realm of both public life and recreation-- that one encounters the most striking obstacles the growth of the Kingdom of Christ, our friars have chosen this form of spiritual assistance to make the ancient faith, once so alive and fruitful, rise again out of the ashes of the post-modem oblivion and religious lethargy of Austrian society.
The typical day of the Community (which comprises four friars, including both religious brothers and priests) unfolds in an atmosphere of profound prayer and silence. On more important solemnities during the summer, the friars assist at the Holy Masses that are celebrated in the chapels that dot both the slopes and the summits of the splendid mountains that sur round this beautiful Tirolean locality.
In this mission station, the intense pastoral activity characteristic of other missions is joined to a serious and attentive concern for solidarity. This is a characteristic sign of the pres ence of the Immaculate, Who acts in silence and with discretion.
Taken from Missio Immaculatae International (English Edition)Issue n. 8., October 2006.
This article hasn't been commented yet.
Write a comment