He is one of the most revered Christian saints, there is a figure of him in many Catholic churches, and in the Braunau parish church of St. Stephen an entire altar is dedicated to him. We are talking regarding Saint Sebastian.
The picture of the Züraltar in the parish church impressively shows the martyrdom of Sebastian, revered as the patron saint of the plague: pierced by arrows, he ascends into heaven. Below him you can see the oldest historical town view of Braunau with the originally Gothic tower design. The Braunau Sebastian altar was erected in 1639 in the Zürnwerkstätte, it has been preserved to this day and can be viewed in the parish church.
But the signs of the times are also gnawing at this valuable work of art: the town parish church of Braunau St. Stephan urgently needs general renovation. Recently there was a first inspection with representatives of the Diocese of Linz, the Federal Monuments Office and the parish. The next steps have been initiated. Since the parish itself has to spend an estimated half a million euros to help finance the general renovation, donations are being collected with the “Save the Braunauer Steffl” campaign, among other things.
Large donation from Amag
Amag put its name on the list of donors with a generous sum and sponsored the altar of Sebastian. “We are committed to making a contribution to the preservation of this cultural asset, which is well known throughout Austria and is well worth seeing,” says Gerald Mayer, CEO of Amag. The sponsorship activities of the Ranshofen aluminum group are deliberately focused on the region and are divided into the themes of sport, education, social affairs and culture. The large donation to the parish church includes two of these areas: on the one hand as a cultural monument, on the other hand as a place of pastoral care.
Not only large donations, but also every small donation helps the parish of Braunau St. Stephan to handle the general renovation project.
Save the Braunau Steffl: Tax-deductible donations to the Federal Monuments Office with first and last name as well as date of birth and address, the action code A331 to IBAN: AT07 0100 0000 0503 1050; Donation folders are also available in the church.
A 3D tour through the Braunau parish church is possible here.
Magdalena Lagetar
