October 14, 2023
On October 14, 2023, Apostolic Nuncio Pedro López Quintana blessed the newly restored “Calvary hill” of Lilienfeld. The monument in Lilienfeld-Stangental belongs to the Abbey of Lilienfeld, and was built in 1677 under Abbot Matthäus Kolweiß. In the last four years, the hill, with its 20 statues, making it one of the largest structures of its kind in Austria, was restored at a cost of around 600,000 euros. The restoration project was implemented with the help of the State of Lower Austria, the Federal Monument’s Office and many donors from the Abbey of Lilienfeld. 70% of the total costs benefited the skilled workers of the companies involved, 20% was VAT and 10% related to material costs. Around 200 people took part in the blessing ceremony on October 14, 2023. After the blessing of the religious monument, the celebration continued in the dormitorium of the Abbey, where the restoration work was explained in more detail and where Abbot Pius expressed the Abbey’s to all of the special donors.