All Saints' Day: Offers for Mourners in Vienna

On All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, it is traditionally the time in Austria when many people particularly think of their deceased loved ones. During this time, the grief over the loss of a loved one can resurface and cause pain. Numerous offerings in the Archdiocese of Vienna provide support and guidance in the grieving process, aiming to give comfort, hope, and strength to grieving people.

Mourning Rooms in Vienna: Talking About Grief with Pastoral Caregivers

Mourning rooms in downtown Vienna, in Klosterneuburg, and in Maria Enzersdorf offer mourners a place to draw hope and confidence. Those who wish to talk about their feelings and thoughts will find experienced pastoral caregivers or specially trained grief counselors in the mourning rooms, who are available for conversations free of charge. Anyone can come to the mourning rooms without an appointment and use the services for free.

Curhaus (Stephansplatz 3, 3rd Floor, 1010 Vienna)

October 30, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
At Stephansplatz, the Church Pedagogical University Vienna/Lower Austria designs a mourning room with stations to explore emotions, memories, or perhaps unresolved issues. At a wailing wall, thoughts can be written down, submitted, and thus released. In the chapel of the Curhaus on the 1st floor, songs that are meant to have a healing effect will be sung together at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. At 1:00 PM, interested parties will also receive impulses in a lecture in the chapel under the motto "When Words Fail..." on how to successfully deal with grieving children and adolescents.

Romanesque Chapel of the Schottenstift (Freyung 6a, 1010 Vienna)

October 31 to November 3, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Various stations address feelings and themes such as lament, request, comfort, and reconciliation, inviting individuals to engage with their own emotions and quietly remember the deceased and draw strength. The mourning room is organized for the ninth time by the conversation island of the Austrian Religious Orders and the contact point for grief of the Parish Caritas of the Archdiocese of Vienna.

Sala terrena at Klosterneuburg Abbey (Stiftsplatz 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg)

November 1 to 4, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
In the special atmosphere of the historic vaults of the Sala terrena, the St. Martin Hospice and Klosterneuburg Abbey offer a mourning space with stations where, among other things, white ribbons can be tied to an olive tree as a sign of reconciliation, anger and grief can be released at the Wailing Wall, or broken shards can be assembled into a new pattern.

Cemetery Chapel Maria Enzersdorf (Grenzgasse 7, 2344 Maria Enzersdorf)

November 1 and 2, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
In Maria Enzersdorf, in the Vienna suburbs, people can also express their feelings in words at various stations and symbolically attach their thoughts to a Wailing Wall or a heart. A small tree, adorned with white ribbons, offers hope and confidence and serves as a place for gratitude. The mourning space is a joint project of the Hospice Association, the Catholic parish of Maria Enzersdorf, and the Protestant parish A.B. Mödling.

Mourning Walks in the Donau-Auen National Park or at the Vienna Central Cemetery

On November 8, the Grief Contact Point of the Parish Caritas of the Archdiocese of Vienna invites you to a hiking day in the Donau-Auen National Park. Interested parties can engage in conversation with other affected individuals, share experiences, and give their soul a break. The 12-kilometer path leads without significant inclines from the Panozzalacke over the Kasernbrückerl and the Rohrwand to the Napoleon Circular Path. The meeting point is at 9:00 AM at the U1 station Kaisermühlen. Further information and registration at 01 51 552 3099 or kontaktstelletrauer@caritas-wien.at.

Those who only want to be on the move for 1.5 hours can join the mourning walk at the Central Cemetery on November 21. Participants stroll at a leisurely pace through the cemetery and, as on the hiking day, have the opportunity to exchange ideas with each other and then visit a café. The meeting point is at 1:30 PM at the U3 station Simmering, followed by a joint ride to the Central Cemetery. Further information and registration also here at 01 51 552 3099 or kontaktstelletrauer@caritas-wien.at.

Mourning Cafés in Vienna

Enjoy a cup of coffee, exchange with other mourners, and give space to your own story, feelings, and thoughts – this is possible at grief cafés:

Grief Contact Point of the Parish Caritas of the Archdiocese of Vienna (Stephansplatz 6, Staircase 1 – Attic, 1010 Vienna)

Caritas Socialis Pramergasse (Pramergasse 7, 1090 Vienna)

Caritas Socialis Kalksburg (Breitenfurterstraße 529, 1230 Vienna)

Telephone Counseling for Help Around the Clock

Anyone who wants to talk about their own grief, problems, and worries can reach the telephone counseling service around the clock at the toll-free number 142. The specially trained counselors are also available via WhatsApp and email. All information: www.telefonseelsorge.at

The Caritas Chat Network is also available daily from 10 AM to 10 PM at the phone number 05 1776 100. Volunteer chat partners offer a listening ear, time, and are happy to be there for the callers. All information: www.plaudernetz.at

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