Austrian bishops announce details of pope's September trip to Austria

Published: 2007-03-19

VIENNA, Austria (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI will visit Austria Sept. 7-9 to celebrate the 850th anniversary of Austria's most important Marian shrine, the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariazell, the country's bishops announced. Pope Benedict will arrive in Vienna Sept. 7, lead a prayer service in the city center and then meet with government authorities and members of the diplomatic corps in the Hofburg Palace. The morning of Sept. 8, the pope will travel to Mariazell where he will celebrate Mass in the square outside the shrine's basilica. Later, he will hold an evening prayer service with priests, seminarians, deacons and members of religious orders. Back in Vienna Sept. 9, the pope will celebrate Mass in St. Stephen's Cathedral. After an afternoon visit to the ancient Cistercian Abbey of the Holy Cross outside Vienna and a meeting with city leaders, he will return to Rome, the bishops said.

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