Sunday, September 6, 2026, was a special day for the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the friary of the Conventual Franciscan friars in Neunkirchen, Austria. The thirty newly cast bells for the future carillon at this location were presented to the public for the first time. The friary is part of the Provincial Custody of St. Leopold and St. Nicolas of Flüe in Austria-Switzerland.
At the Minoritensaal, the friary’s historic refectory, visitors were able to view the individual bells up close and gain a clearer sense of this special project. The twenty-six bell sponsors, whose contributions helped fund the casting of the individual bells, were specifically invited to the event.
The new carillon is being created to mark the 800th anniversary of the transitus of St. Francis of Assisi and in anticipation of the 400th anniversary of the friary’s founding, which will be celebrated in 2031. The friary was founded in 1631, by Hans Balthasar von HOYOS [an Austrian nobleman]. Since then, the Conventual Franciscans have been entrusted with the pastoral care of the parish church in Neunkirchen.
Work to install the thirty bells in the church tower began on September 7. Thus, the parish church shall receive a new auditory symbol of joy and Franciscan identity. In the future, its sound will be heard far beyond the boundaries of the parish community.
The presentation of the bells drew great interest from the many parishioners and guests in attendance. With the installation of the bells, a fresh chapter begins on the journey toward the new carillon in Neunkirchen.
Friar Bernhard LANG
