Archdiocese of Vienna celebrates the Month of the Sacred Heart by pressing on with plans to close a Church dedicated to the Sacred Heart
A new parish has been formed and the Church is on the brink of closure- below an article from last year.
Excitement over the sale of a church in Mödling
The Archdiocese of Vienna wants to unite Mödling into a single parish and transfer church properties. Many now fear demolition or the loss of the parish building. According to the archdiocese, infrastructure for the faithful will continue to be available.
The case surrounding the possible sale of the Sacred Heart Parish Church in Mödling is causing great excitement in the town of 24,000 inhabitants south of Vienna. The Archdiocese of Vienna wants to unite Mödling into a single parish and transfer church properties. A citizens' initiative is now campaigning for the preservation of the church. It consists of around 100 members of the total 3,500 parishioners.
Many fear demolition or the loss of the parish building as a place of worship. The church will continue to be used: "This means that we can continue to celebrate liturgy here. In a very open space that is barrier-free and also continue to have spaces that we can use for opportunities to meet in the church," Klaus Pollheimer, a member of the Sacred Heart parish, told noe.ORF.at.
The reason for the possible sales is the high maintenance costs of buildings. Furthermore, the archdiocese states that they are faced with many requirements, such as those regarding historic preservation – more on this in "High Costs: Several Churches for Sale" (noe.ORF.at; July 24, 2024).
Demolition not planned, according to the Archdiocese of Vienna
Demolition is not an option, however. However, maintaining the church makes little sense due to the small number of Catholics. Mödling now has a total of only 8,000 Catholics. Around 60 years ago, there were still 18,000 Catholics in Mödling, it is said. Furthermore, there are many churches in Mödling. What exactly should happen to the Sacred Heart Parish Church, however, has not yet been decided. Many proposals are on the table and the church is open to innovative ideas.
The archdiocese points out that a sub-parish should continue to live in the Schöffelstadt: "The necessary infrastructure will be in place for this. However, in terms of buildings, this will not be available to the extent that it is now," says Josef Grünwidl, Episcopal Vicar of the Archdiocese of Vienna.
Municipality has no interest in purchasing
The municipality of Mödling shows no interest in purchasing the Sacred Heart Parish Church. They are already responsible for three churches, and enough money is being spent on maintaining the buildings. Furthermore, it is not the responsibility of a municipality to ensure that churches continue to operate. That is the responsibility of the archdiocese.
Who want to be gone?
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