Saturday, June 1, 2013

Corpus Christi/Fronleichnam


This was my favorite church holiday when growing up.  Now I got to do it again and was so happy to share this day with my family.  (I had to swallow back tears several times during the celebration).   Americans don't really celebrate this day as much as Europeans.  I have never seen a Corpus Christi procession there although I have heard  that they used to exist.  All the hymns I used to sing when I was little, the same rituals, everything was here in Vienna.  We had wanted to go to the huge procession with the Cardinal, but that would have been very early (we would have had to leave home at around 7:00 a.m. and wait for an hour in the cathedral before Mass would have started).  So we opted for a smaller procession.  Ours started in the Karmeliter Kirche (Carmelite Church) with a Mass, then we walked in a procession to the Leopoldskirche.  A lady from the church had given the children rose petals in a "Sackerl" (a little bag) to cast in front of the priests who were carrying the monstrance.  We sang the whole way and had a small prayer at an altar on the way.  Unfortunately, it started to rain and we got quite wet.  After a short prayer and more singing in the second church, we were invited to coffee, ice cream, and sausages.  A lady even invited the children to join the church choir and another lady marveled at the braided hair of the girls.  I didn't take many pictures, but some people from the church did.  So if you feel like looking for us, go to the church website and look here.  (The pictures above are from the same photographer, Christian Posch).  
Fronleichnam war früher als Kind mein Lieblingskirchenfest.  Hier in Wien konnte ich endlich wieder daran teilnehmen, in Amerika wird dieser Tag leider kaum begangen (früher war das wohl in einigen Gegenden anders).  Es war so schön, dieses Fest jetzt mit meiner Familie zu feiern und ich mußte ein paar Mal mir die Tränen der Rührung doch verkneifen, so sehr haben mich die alten Lieder und Rituale berührt.  Wir wollten eigentlich an der großen Wiener Fronleichnamsprozession teilnehmen, doch hätten wir dann schon um 7 Uhr von zu Hause aufbrechen müssen und in dem Stephansdom eine Stunde für den Messebeginn warten müssen.  Deshalb haben wir uns für eine kleinere Prozession von der Karmeliterkirche bis zur Leopoldskirche entschlossen.  Die Feier begann mit einer Messe in der Karmeliterkirche, die von der Prozession zur Leopoldskirche gefolgt war.  Eine nette Frau der Karmeliterkirche hatte den Kinder ein "Sackerl" mit Rosenblättern zum Streuen vor der Monstranz gegeben.  Unterwegs haben wir fast ohne Unterbrechung gesungen, es gab ein kurzes Gebet an einem Altar dazwischen.  Leider hat es angefangen zu regnen, so daß wir ziemlich naß in der Leopoldskirche ankamen.  Dort gab es wieder Gebete und Musik, dann sind wir zum Eisessen und Kaffeetrinken eingeladen wurden, Würstchen konnte man auch essen.  Eine Dame hat die Kinder sogar eingeladen, im Kinderchor zu singen und eine andere wollte wissen, wie ich die Haare der Mädchen flechte.  Ich habe nicht viele Fotos gemacht, aber man kann uns auf der Webseite der Kirche wiederfinden.  Ein Fotograf hat nämlich die ganze Zeit fotografiert.  Also, falls der eine oder andere uns suchen will, hier wird man fündig.  Die beiden Fotos oben stammen auch von diesem Fotografen, Christian Posch.     





 Leopoldskirche (Church of St. Leopold)

 Listening to the band after the procession
Konzert der Blaskapelle nach der Prozession







    

15 comments:

  1. So glad you're having a wonderful time in Vienna and are able to enjoy a special holiday there :) Leopoldskirche is exquisitely beautiful. hugs from all of us.

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    1. It's so amazing to discover a new church around every corner here. We always visit to say hello to Jesus and light a candle.

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  2. P.S. I enjoyed seeing all of you on the church's website!

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  3. Hi Eva,

    I read frequently, but I don't think I've ever commented. I don't think we live very far apart. :-)

    The church in my hometown (about thirty miles east of Syracuse) does a Corpus Christi procession through the village, if you ever happen to be out that way.

    God bless!

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    1. Hello Courtney,

      Thanks so much for pointing this out to me. I will keep this in mind for next year. Is it on the Thursday or Sunday? Here Corpus Christi is a national holiday and it's always on a Thursday, but I think in the U.S. it's always on the following Sunday.

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    2. I believe they do it on the Sunday, but I'll double check.

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    3. I apologize if this comment comes through twice! My page refreshed and I'm not sure if it went through!

      I believe they do it on the Sunday, but I'll double check!

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  4. Wir hatten Fronleichnam auch eine sehr schöne Messe in unserer Kirche. Es waren unglaublich viele Messdiener dort, die Schützen haben Fahnen getragen, der Kirchenchor hat gesungen. Die Kinder waren ganz beeindruckt von dem großen Aufgebot. Die Kirche, die Du fotografiert hast, ist sehr schön.

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    1. Das klingt aber auch sehr schön bei Euch! Ich bin im Siegerland aufgewachsen, dort hatten wir unsere Prozession durch den Wald!! Das war immer sehr stimmungsvoll.

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  5. Eva, I'm so glad you made it back to Europe with the whole family! Will you make it up to NRW? We were in the St. Paulus Dom in Muenster on Fronleichnam. My first procession was in Europe. They can be so beautiful.

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    1. Stephanie, I'm still kind of shocked that I'm really here. It all happened so quickly and we hadn't thought it would work out. I have been to the St. Paulus Dom, but never to their procession. I wonder if my sister and her family went there. I'm not sure where they attend church (my sister is a church secretary, but she has never really mentioned the name of the church).

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  6. Are you going to be heading back in my direction this trip? I fear I have missed getting to meet you and your family. Anyway, I am very happy that you could share your heritage with your children.

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    1. We will be briefly going up north again, but since we don't have a car we won't be able to stop anywhere. That's too bad because I would have loved to see some people in NRW, but I guess I can't have everything. If by any chance we still end up there, I will contact you and we could get together. That would be neat!

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