St. Pölten Cathedral - important for pastoral care in the diocese of St. Pölten. 

 

Pastoral care in St. Pölten Cathedral has a long and important history dating back to 1785. With the establishment of the diocese of St. Pölten by Pope Pius VI, the Augustinian canons' monastery was abolished and the collegiate church became the cathedral of the diocese, the cathedral church of the bishops of St. Pölten. This transformation marked the beginning of a new era of ecclesiastical community and spiritual life in the region.

 

Central liturgical events of the diocese take place in St. Pölten Cathedral. These include the ordination services of newly appointed bishops if they have not yet received episcopal ordination. The solemn induction of bishops into their office is also a significant event, as happened most recently on 1 July 2018 with Diocesan Bishop Dr Alois Schwarz. Priests and deacons are ordained by the diocesan bishop in the cathedral on the Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul. The bishop also celebrates their ordination with the diocese's priest jubilarians and celebrates the Missa Chrismatis on the Wednesday of Holy Week, during which the holy oils for the administration of the sacraments are consecrated and the diocesan clergy's promise of ordination is renewed.

 

The cathedral is also the central location for the celebration of the high feasts and festivals of the church year, including Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Easter, Christmas, Pentecost and many other important days such as the feast of the diocesan patron saint, St Hippolytus, on 13 August. Confirmation is traditionally administered in the cathedral on Whit Monday, and the solemn end of the year on New Year's Eve is also a highlight in the liturgical calendar. In addition to these regular celebrations, the cathedral also hosts special services and masses on special occasions, which are presided over by the diocesan bishop.

 

When a bishop dies, the deceased is laid to rest in the cathedral, where the requiem is also celebrated. The burial place of the bishops of St. Pölten is in the bishop's crypt under the presbytery of the cathedral.

 

With the creation of the new diocese, the cathedral chapter of St Pölten was also established. It consists of eight canons, including three dignitaries: the provost, dean and scholaster of the cathedral. The task of the cathedral chapter is to perform choral prayers in the cathedral church and to take part in the services held by the bishop or his representative. In addition, there is an obligation to hold a regular mass on all Sundays and public holidays for the benefactors of the diocese and the cathedral chapter, as well as a foundation mass on 26 November, the day on which the first bishop Johann Heinrich von Kerens died. The consecration day of the cathedral church, 11 October, is celebrated annually with a solemn service, and the canons are authorised by the diocesan bishop to administer confirmations.

 

The episcopal cathedral church also serves as the parish church of the cathedral parish and celebrates the entire liturgical parish life throughout the church year. This includes Sunday, holiday and weekday masses, baptisms, weddings, confirmations, first communions, harvest festivals, family and children's services, funeral masses, May and Stations of the Cross devotions and Eucharistic adoration. Special events such as the "Long Night of the Churches" and the "Night of 1000 Lights" enrich the spiritual life of the parish. The annual children's Bible week at the end of August is particularly noteworthy. During the special times of Christmas and Easter, the cathedral church also serves as a supra-regional confessional church.

 

An important part of pastoral care in St. Pölten Cathedral is the cathedral music, which provides the music for the liturgies and enriches them with numerous high-calibre concerts of sacred music. These concerts can often be heard on the radio and contribute to the spiritual atmosphere of the cathedral.

 

Pastoral care in St. Pölten Cathedral is therefore a living expression of faith and community that has grown over the centuries and characterises the spiritual life of the region.