120 years Redemptoristines in Lauterach

On 19 November 2024, we celebrated the 120th anniversary of the Redemptoristines in Lauterach.

A group of 17 sisters arrived in Lauterach (Vorarlberg, Austria) on 19 November 1904. Originally, eight sisters had been sent from our motherhouse in Vienna to establish a community in Salzburg in 1900. Due to the extreme poverty and the very poor condition of the house, the sisters were unable to remain there. Despite the difficult conditions, the number of sisters grew from 8 to 17 over those four years. Thanks to the Redemptorists, who at that time had a community in Dornbirn (a neighbouring town to Lauterach), the sisters learnt of a vacant monastery in Vorarlberg and moved here. In total, more than 80 Redemptoristines from nine different countries lived in our community. We thank God for the faithfulness of every single sister who lived for Jesus in this monastery and prayed for the world.

The thanksgiving Mass at 10 am was celebrated by our Bishop Beno Elbs together with 11 priests, five of whom were Redemptorists. Our neighbouring sisters from Bregenz and many faithful from our diocese also took part. In his homily, Bishop Benno reminded us that, as Redemptoristines, we bear the name of Jesus the Redeemer – the Saviour and healing Lord – in our name, and that it is our task to pray on behalf of others and to be a balm for many wounds.

After Holy Mass, the guests were invited to refreshments in our cloister and were able to visit our Altar Breads bakery, the cemetery and a newly opened monastery museum, which was blessed on the morning of the jubilee day by Provincial Father Martin Leitgöb CSsR in the small circle of the Redemptorist family. A highlight of the museum is a red shoe and a pileolus belonging to Pope Pius IX, which were found quite unexpectedly in our attic. Pius IX was the 255th Pope from 1846 to 1878. His pontificate included, among other things, the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary and the First Vatican Council. We have since learnt that these valuable items belonging to the Pope originally belonged to the Dominican Sisters (who built St Joseph’s Monastery as a boarding school for girls, but when it became too small for them, they moved to Marienberg in Bregenz in 1904). We are very grateful to the Dominican Sisters of Marienberg for allowing us to preserve these precious treasures and make them accessible to the public in our museum. The museum is open on Mondays from 3 pm to 5 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 11 am. Admission: voluntary donation.

We look back on the past with love and gratitude, live in the present with faith and joy, and look to the future with hope and courage. Above all, however, we continue to follow Jesus, the Redeemer, and carry the world and the needs of concrete people in our daily prayers.

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this festive day even more special for us through their presence, their wonderful help, support and prayers. We are grateful to all our benefactors, friends and relatives of the monastic community who have supported our prayer mission over the past 120 years. Our thanks also go to all the priests who celebrate Holy Mass for us every day and accompany us spiritually. May we continue to experience God’s loving presence in our midst together, and may many more graces flow from our monastery out into the whole world.