A consecration charter and other documents dating back to 1904 have been discovered at the base of a cross atop one of the towers of the Romanian church “Saint Anthony” in Vienna during renovation works.
The discovery was made by Fr Ioan Moga and his wife Patricia, together with representatives of the company restoring the church façade.
In one of the two time capsules, a fragment of the newspaper Kronen Zeitung dated October 2, 1904, was found—the day the construction of the two towers was completed. One of the news items reported the conclusion of the official visit of King Carol I of Romania and Queen Elisabeta of Romania to the Imperial Court in Vienna.
“An emotional surprise with symbolic value for the Romanians who acquired this church more than 110 years later. This providential coincidence between Saint Anthony Church and the Romanian presence in Vienna builds a bridge across time between generations,” parish representatives wrote on Facebook.
The official capsule contained the original consecration document from the church’s rededication in 1904, bearing the signatures of those who officiated the service and the leaders of the Saint Anthony Association, which built the church. A document from the craftsmen who constructed the roof and the two crosses was also discovered.
According to the parish, in Austrian tradition, the church’s consecration charter is not placed beneath the altar table but at the base of the cross in the tower, where it is less accessible.
Saint Anthony Church in Vienna
The “Saint Anthony” Church was built together with a shelter of the same name (Pouthongasse 18) between 1887 and 1893 by the Saint Anthony Association, with the aim of providing care and accommodation for women released from prison, women in financial hardship or unable to work, as well as disadvantaged children.
Until its closure in 1972, the institution was led by 10 abbesses, and more than 120 nuns and sisters of charity served there.
Since 2014, the church has been owned by the Romanian Orthodox Parish “Saint Anthony the Great” in Vienna.
Photo: Facebook / Parohia „Sf. Antonie” Viena
