The Initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS
Nature and organization of the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS
The initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS is a Roman Catholic, Christian lay prayer initiative for the country of Austria.
The sole aim, content and mission of the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS is to record and present the common prayer of the Rosary in cities and towns for Austria. We do this in order to entrust our country to the Blessed Mother and to ask her help for all its inhabitants.
The common prayer invitation is an invitation to pray the rosary together and not an invitation for demonstrations or protest marches.
This is, without exception and exclusively, a pure prayer action in the sense of the constitutional freedom of worship guaranteed by the Republic.
The initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS is not a rally of any kind outside the stated religious purpose of prayer.
Therefore, the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS, from the very beginning, explicitly distances itself from all actions outside the above-mentioned purpose of prayer, especially from political or actionist activities.
Commitments of the initiators
Initiators of joint prayer meetings of the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS undertake to comply with the Code of Conduct. The initiators undertake to ensure that all persons participating in the registered prayer meeting comply with this Code of Conduct.
The commitment comes into effect from the announcement of the prayer meeting to the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS.
Only prayers, texts or other publication material approved in writing by the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS are part of the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS.
Misuse or instrumentalization of the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS, in particular unauthorized content, activist appearances, politically motivated expressions of opinion, events and actions are not part of the initiative.
Commitment of all participants
All contributors and participants commit themselves to Christian tranquility and dignity as well as to an orderly conduct of the prayer meeting and appropriate devotion.
Without exception, the instructions of the public order officers and the executive (police) are to be followed in a friendly manner. Questions of law and order etc. must be clarified in advance with the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS.
The use of a microphone and/or megaphone is a rally under event law and must be clarified in advance with the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS and the competent authority.
Media and copyright regulations
Public statements, interviews, media contributions etc. must, without exception, be coordinated with the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS and approved by it in writing.
Statements, interviews, media contributions etc. that have not been approved in writing by the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS are not part of the initiative.
The media company, the media service, the media owner and/or the media producer undertake to submit the media content to the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS for authorization and release in due time before publication.
Basically, media work is not an objective of the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS. Its exclusive objective is the common prayer of the Rosary.
Unity of prayer meetings
Ut unum sint (Gospel according to John, chapter 17, verse 11)
If possible, the common prayer should take place every Wednesday at 18:00 (6 p.m.).
The prayer meeting should take place in front of a church, a Marian column, a plague column, a wayside cross, a chapel or similar Catholic place. We would like to make a public sign and pray for the society in the open air.
With the announcement of the prayer meeting, the initiators commit themselves to ensure that only the Rosary is prayed. It can be led alternately for each decade.
If there are enough children present and they wish to do so, they are also invited to lead a decade.
In the case of larger procession groups, approximately 30 people or more, the group should be divided according to the circumstances of the place. At least one prayer leader should be assigned to each group.
In order to set a visible sign and to honor Our Lady, processional flags will be provided for larger prayer processions after consultation with the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS.
For children, small flags and tea lights in jars will be provided on request and in consultation with the initiative AUSTRIA PRAYS.
The processional flags, ensigns and tea lights, feature the image of Maria Schnee (Our Lady of the snows), a miraculous image enthroned in Vienna, a few meters away from the main institutions of the Republic of Austria and on the same level as the government offices. The image has been intensively venerated in times of need throughout Austria’s history.
Children, but also adults, are cordially invited to accompany the common prayer with consecrated candles and lanterns.
A traditional selection of Marian songs is provided in the song booklet AUSTRIA PRAYS.
Spiritual addresses at the prayer meeting are reserved for Catholic priests without exception. If Catholic priests are present, they are asked to lead the prayer meeting and to give the blessing at the end.