We provide information, but in particular we try to educate, to show connections and to gain understanding for a concern that goes far beyond purely technical, infrastructural and financial issues. On site in Mariastein – at the scene, so to speak – a dialogue is developing vividly and concretely.

29th of September 2023 – Birsstadt Association

On the 18th of October 2023, various representatives of interest groups met at the Benedictine monastery of Mariastein with those responsible for the redesign of the monastery square. In particular, the focus was on the topic of access for everyone to the monastery, the basilica and the rock grotto.

The picture shows, from left to right: Sebastian Burnell, head of the Procap specialist unit; Ruedi Kohler, member of the core group; Svenja Gubler, Office for Spatial Planning SO – Heritage Protection; Dominik Oser, new head of buildings at Mariastein Abbey; Stefan Blank, head of heritage preservation SO; Eva Diem, architect, head of buildings at Mariastein Abbey; Silvio Haberthür, client representative and head of the Klosterplatz redesign project; Florian Dolder, operations manager at Mariastein Abbey; Bernhard Mäusli, architect, president of the jury for the quality competition; Jacques Mennel, landscape planner; Markus Probst, building administrator for the municipality of Metzerlen-Mariastein; Julia Hemmerling, architect at Ehrenklau Hemmerling and Daniel Gschwind, engineering firm Märki AG.

8th of September 2023 – Blessing of the new atrium of the Basilica

On this feast day of Mary, the day of her birth, the newly designed atrium of the Mariastein Basilica was blessed. The renovation is the result of a joint effort by architect Eva Diem and designer Christian Grogg. The refurbishment and furnishing of this ‘threshold room’ was made possible by many donors. We thank them all. In the picture you can see: P. Ludwig Ziegerer, director of pilgrimages, Eva Diem, benefactor Kurt Simmler, Abbot Peter von Sury and Christian Grogg.

29th of August 2023 – Rodersdorf District Council

There was an intensive exchange of ideas with the municipal council of Rodersdorf, the neighbouring village on the other side of the forest, half of which is located in Alsace. The subject of the discussion was the plans initiated by the Benedictine monastery, such as the reorientation of the pilgrimage, a new sponsorship model, gastronomy and the care of guests, maintenance of the buildings and infrastructure. During dinner, the mayor of the municipality, Thomas Bürgi, referred to Father Marx Äschi (1610-1688), who was not only a benefactor of Rodersdorf, but also of the monastery. His coat of arms can be seen above the side doors to the left and right of the baroque entrance to the basilica. The photograph, taken in the choir of the basilica, shows the members of the municipal council: Christophe Grundschober, Roland Matthes, Véronique Hilfiker Durand, Thomas Bürgi, Ingeborg Pesenti and Jonas Maienfisch.

28th of August 2023 – Ettingen Municipal Council

You can’t avoid Ettingen, Abbot Peter said during dinner with the municipal council, referring to the fact that the road to the motorway branches off in Ettingen when coming from Mariastein via Hofstetten. Before dinner, the municipal council, led by the municipal president Sibylle Muntwiler, visited the monastery buildings and was given a detailed briefing on the various aspects of the ‘Aufbruch ins Weite – Mariastein 2025’ project. This picture was taken on the organ gallery of the basilica: Christian Lischer, Andreas Stöcklin, Marco Dähler, Sibylle Muntwiler, Benno Graber, Michael Bächli and Ruben Kiefer.

20th of April 2023 – Martin Candinas, President of the National Council, visits Mariastein

Important visitor in Mariastein: Martin Candinas, acting President of the National Council, came to Mariastein for an official visit. After being welcomed on the monastery square by Abbot Peter and Glenn Steiger, President of the Association of the Friends of the Monastery, as well as by various officials from the cantons of Solothurn, Baselland and Baselstadt, a short ceremony took place in the basilica, followed by a lunch with invited guests and members of the Association of the Friends of the Monastery at the Klosterhotel Kreuz. Martin Candinas showed great interest in the project ‘Aufbruch ins Weite – Mariastein 2025’ (Expansion into the Wide – Mariastein 2025). In his address in the basilica, he said:
‘It is not only important for them as a religious order, but also for the municipality of Metzerlen-Mariastein, for the rear Leimental, for the Schwarzbubenland, for the canton of Solothurn, and indeed for the whole of north-west Switzerland. And it has a role model character: other monasteries and religious orders are looking to Mariastein: will the project succeed? Is it even possible to plan the future of a monastery in a humane way? In bits and pieces, certainly. If the planning is followed by the implementation and concretisation. But I know – and now I am speaking as a devout Christian – that it also takes a good portion of confidence, even hope, or to put it simply: trust in God! I wish you all this with all my heart.’

26th of March 2023 – Book presentation ‘Welcome Home – Mariastein Abbey in the 2021/22 Memorial Year’

Around 60 people attended the presentation of the commemorative book about the memorial year 2021/22 in the Esso Hall of the Monastery. The focus was a conversation with Marco Solari, president of the Locarno Film Festival and former delegate of the Federal Council for the 700th anniversary of the Confederation in 1991. Maurice Steger provided the musical backdrop for the event. Among the guests were Susanne Schaffner, member of the government council, and Susanne Hauser Koch, president of the cantonal council. The book ‘Welcome Home – Mariastein Monastery in the Commemorative Year 2021/22’ can be purchased for 30 francs at the abbey gate or in the abbey shop ‘Pilgerlaube’.

22 March 2023 – SIGEGS Training Event

The Swiss Association for the Preservation of Graphics and Written Documents (SIGEGS) held its spring training event in Mariastein. Around 20 people from German-speaking Switzerland took part. In addition to a visit to the Chapel of Mercy, the basilica and the monastery, Mariano Tschuor explained the project ‘Aufbruch ins Weite – Mariastein 2025’, Gabriella Hanke Knaus presented the monastery library and Barbara

14th of March 2023 – Paradisia Running

At the invitation of Dr. Martin Tschan, member of the Patrons’ Committee and Senior Warden of the Paradisia student fraternity, Mariano Tschuor was able to speak to the members of this fraternity about the project “Aufbruch ins Weite – Mariastein 2025” on 14th of March 2023 as part of the “Mi-Carême event”. This was followed by a lively discussion about the future of convents in general and Mariastein in particular.

24th of February 2023 – The Monastery and the Municipality sign the concession agreement

After the Monastery’s independence was abolished under constitutional law in 1874, the Canton of Solothurn took ownership of the monastery square. In 2006, this square was transferred to the municipality of Metzerlen-Mariastein. With a view to the redesign of the monastery square by the Benedictine monastery of Mariastein, a concession agreement was negotiated between the owner (municipality) and the builder (monastery), which regulates the design, use, management and maintenance. The signature under this concession agreement took place on 24 February 2023 in the Augustinus Hall of the monastery.

From left to right: Florian Dolder, operations manager, Abbot Peter von Sury, Marianne Frei, municipal president and Daniel Renz, deputy municipal president.

Led by municipal president Claudia Carruzzo, municipal councillors Nicole Schwalbach, Claude Chevrolet, Sascha Fässler and Sébastian Hamann visited the monastery and were briefed on the ‘Mariastein 2025 – A fresh start’ project by project manager Mariano Tschuor. During dinner, Abbot Peter emphasised the close neighbourly relations between Bättwil and the monastery.

9th of December 2022 – Donation from Altdorf

The board of alumni and friends of the College of St. Charles Altdorf organised an internal fundraising campaign for the redesign of the Augustinus Hall in the monastery’s guest building. This room is to be used in future for the meetings associated with the project ‘Expansion into the Wide Open – Mariastein 2025’ and must therefore be upgraded in terms of infrastructure and technology. On 9 December, Father Lukas Schenker and Mariano Tschuor were able to accept a cheque in Altdorf that is to serve as a contribution to the redesign of the Augustinus Hall.

From left to right: Noel Baumann, Markus Imhof, Thomas Ziegler, Father Lukas, Charlotte Germann and Mariano Tschuor.

We were once again able to present the overall project ‘Aufbruch ins Weite – Mariastein 2025’ to a local council from the neighbourhood of Mariastein and deepen the regional political significance of this project in an exchange, namely that from Witterswil. The guests at the monastery and at the subsequent dinner at Abbot Peter’s table were: Doris Weisskopf, President of the Municipal Council, Anita Müller, Vice President of the Municipal Council, Christian Mende, Member of the Municipal Council, Claus Wepler, Member of the Municipal Council and Stefanie Camenzind, Substitute Member of the Municipal Council.

27th of October 2022 – Strong Region Award

On the 27th of October 2022, the Association for a Strong Basel/Northwestern Switzerland Region awarded its 2022 prize to Mariastein Monastery, represented by Abbot Peter von Sury, as a representative of the overall project to renew and further develop Mariastein as a Monastery, place of pilgrimage, place of accommodation and cultural centre.

In the 22nd year of its implementation, the prize went to the canton of Solothurn for the first time. The ceremony took place in Witterswil.

Die Vereinigung wird copräsidiert von Nationalrat Felix Wettstein und Kantonsrätin Karin Kälin Neuner-Jehle, die Mitglied des Patronatskomitees «Aufbruch ins Weite – Mariastein 2025» ist.

The laudatory speech was given by former member of the cantonal government Elsbeth Schneider-Kenel BL, and Abt Peter expressed his thanks for the recognition.

You can find her speeches here:
Laudatio (PDF) and Danksagung (PDF)

Image 1: Karin Kälin Neuner-Jehle, Abbot Peter, Elsbeth Schneider-Kenel, Irina Blonina (Starke Region office), Felix Wettstein

Image 2: The monks of Mariastein express their thanks with monastic singing.

Image 3: Among the guests were former government councillor Klaus Fischer, honorary member of the monastery, and Mariano Tschuor, project manager of the ‘Mariastein 2025 – Setting out into the wide world’ project.

Images: Juri Junkov

26th of October 2022 – Regional Church Council of the Canton of Bern

The Regional Church Council is the supreme executive, supervisory and administrative body of the Regional Church of Bern. This body is very interested in the future-oriented project ‘Expansion into the Wide – Mariastein 2025’, particularly in the reorientation of the pilgrimage, and has already generously supported the plans for this reorientation. This was followed by a visit to Mariastein, an on-site inspection, so to speak, combined with a lively exchange with the abbot and the person responsible for the project.

From left to right: Sabine Kempf (Finances), Marie-Louise Beyeler (President), Georges Schwickerath (Episcopal Vicar for the German-speaking Region), Abbot Peter von Sury, Roland Steck (Episcopal Vicar for the Other Languages), Roman Ammann (Education and Proclamation), René Löffler (Human Resources), Edith Rey Kühntopf (Regional Co-ordinator for the Episcopal Vicar for the German-speaking Region) and Robert Zemp (Communications).

17th of September 2022 – Politicians from the Schwarzbubenland region

With a view to the further course of the overall project ‘Aufbruch ins Weite – Mariastein 2025’ (Expansion into the Wide – Mariastein 2025) and in particular the project to redesign Klosterplatz, the monastery invited the representatives of the districts of Dorneck and Thierstein to the cantonal council and the mayors of the municipality of the Leimen Valley in the canton of Solothurn to Mariastein on 17th of September for an exchange of information and ideas.

From left to right: Prior P. Armin Russi, Eva Diem (Head of Buildings of the Monastery), Bruno Vögtli (Cantonal Councillor, Hochwald), Silvio Haberthür (Member of the Patronage Committee and the Infrastructure Working Group), Karin Kälin Neuner-Jehle (Cantonal Councillor, Rodersdorf , member of the patronage committee), Abbot Peter von Sury, Sybille Jeker (member of the cantonal council, Büsserach), Christian Thalmann (member of the cantonal council, Breitenbach), Doris Weisskopf (president of the municipal council of Witterswil), Kuno Gasser (member of the cantonal council, Nunningen), Marianne Frei (president of the municipal President of the Municipality of Metzerlen-Mariastein), Thomas Giger (Member of the Cantonal Parliament, Nuglar-St. Pantaleon), Claudia Caruzzo (President of the Municipality of Bättwil), Boris Szelpal (Project Manager for the redesign of Klosterplatz), Susanne Koch (Member of the Cantonal Parliament, Erschwil, Member of the Patrons’ Committee).

26th of August 2022 – Church Council of the Roman Catholic Church in Basel-Stadt

The Church Council of the RKK Basel-Stadt is both a cantonal state church and an urban parish. The close proximity of Mariastein Monastery to Basel-Stadt means that the contacts are old and close. Now, on 26 August, there was an exchange with the church council. These friendly talks, characterised by mutual understanding for the respective local situations, revolved around pastoral, structural and organisational The Church Council was given an insight into the project ‘Expansion and Renewal – Mariastein 2025’, the new monastery library, and was able to attend vespers in the basilica with the monks.

The picture shows, from left to right: Silvan Müller (administrator), Beat Schönenberger, Christian Griss (President of the Church Council), Jenny Ch. Wüst, Patrick Kissling and Nadine Gautschi.

20th of July 2022 – one federal councillor and two state councillors

On 20 July 2022, former Federal Councillor Samuel Schmid and former Solothurn Cantonal Councillor Christian Wanner paid a special visit to the site to find out more about the project ‘Aufbruch ins Weite – Mariastein 2025’. They were accompanied by former member of the cantonal government Walter Straumann, who, as a member of the patronage committee, the infrastructure working group and as an honorary friar, is very familiar with the intentions and plans of the monastery. Together with former member of the cantonal government Klaus Fischer, who was unable to come to Mariastein on this day, the gentlemen regularly meet for a game of Jass, often in the Kreuz in Metzerlen. Samuel Schmid and Mariano Tschuor know each other from their joint work for the Denk an mich foundation, which provides holidays and leisure activities for people with disabilities.

Pictured: Christian Wanner, Samuel Schmid, Mariano Tschuor, Walter Straumann and Abbot Peter von Sury.

Around 40 members of the Paulus- und Elisabethenverein came from Biberist, combining their little pilgrimage to Mariastein with information about the monastery, the basilica and the project ‘Mariastein 2025 – A Fresh Start’.

Prior P. Armin showed the slideshow about the monastery, P. Leonhard led the guests from Biberist through the basilica and Mariano Tschuor explained the project.

21st of June 2022 – Burg im Leimental local council

Another municipal council from the immediate neighbourhood of Mariastein was a guest at the monastery: the municipal council of Burg i.L. Even though this municipality never belonged to the direct ‘parish’ of Mariastein, there are still close personal and pastoral relationships with this village. The municipal council was informed about the Mariastein 2025 project. There was a lively exchange during a dinner with Abbot Peter.

The picture shows: Dieter Merz, municipal president, Hans-Jörg Tobler, vice-president, Abbot Peter, Claudia Furer, municipal councillor and Niki Stampfli, municipal councillor.

21st of May 2022 – Council of the Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Collectivity of the Republic and Canton of Jura

After their meeting in the country, the executive of the Church of Jura were informed by Abbot Peter about the future plans for Mariastein.

The photo shows the five members of the Conseil:

Pierre Frund, Floriane Chavanne (Chair), Corinne Berret, Baptiste Allimann and Carole Pelletier.

MThe Däster-Schild Foundation, through the mediation of the two members of the foundation board Verena Bider and Klaus Fischer, has donated a considerable sum to the Mariastein Monastery for the reorganisation and renovation of the monastery library. On 4 May, the entire foundation board, under the leadership of its president Philipp Abegg, met in the Monastery and then visited the new Monastery library.

We are very grateful to the Däster-Schild Foundation for its support.

President Beatrice Hanke-Mäder gave Mariastein Abbey a special place in her annual programme. As a result, Abbot Peter, Gabriella Hanke Knaus, the project manager for the reorganisation of the abbey library, and Mariano Tschuor were each able to present a special aspect of the Aufbruch ins Weite – Mariastein 2025 project at the monthly meetings of the Ladies’ Club in Bern in April and May 2022.

On the 30th of April, the Inner Wheel Club of Bern paid a return visit to Mariastein.

27th of April 2022 – Metzerlen-Mariastein municipal council

The complete municipal council, headed by the municipal president Marianne Frei, and the employees of the municipal administration and technical services of Metzerlen-Mariastein visited the Monastery. The similarities between the municipality and the monastery were discussed in detail, in particular the overall Mariastein 2025 project, especially the redesign of the monastery square, which is owned by the municipality. The following took part in this exchange with Abbot Peter and Mariano Tschuor:

Marianne Frei, Daniel Renz, Claudia Flössler, Pierre Jeker, Christoph Koeninger, Jens Schindelholz, Gerold Siegler, Sonja Häner, Claudia Styner, Markus Probst, Dominic Wetzel and Andreas Möschlin.

Organised by former government councillor Elsbeth Schneider-Kenel, a member of the board of the Monastery’s own Beneficentia AG, around 40 people from the 60+ group of the Die Mitte party in the canton of Basel-Landschaft visited Mariastein and learned about the project ‘Mariastein 2025 – a new beginning’.

The group was chaired by former cantonal councillor Paul Thüring from Niederdorf.

19 March 2022 – Board of the Association of Former and Friends of the Kollegium Karl Borromäus, Altdorf

19th of March 2022 – Board of the Association of Former and Friends of the Kollegium Karl Borromäus, Altdorf

On the 19th of March 2022, the Executive Board visited Mariastein:

Josef Arnold-Luzzani, former headmaster, Markus Imhof, treasurer of the association and former administrator, Philipp Arnold, board member, President of the District Court II (Canton of Uri), Noel Baumann, board member, student of Philosophy, Politics Economics at the University of Lucerne, Thomas Ziegler, president of the association, employee of the Nature and Landscape Department (Canton of Uri). Also in the picture is Father Prior Armin Russi, also a former student of the college.

Members: Kurt von Arx, President; Urs Umbricht, Vice President; Klaus Fischer; Theres Mathys-Manz; Gaetano Serrago; Susan von Sury-Thomas; Georges Schwickerat, Episcopal Vicar for the St. Verna region; Edith Rey Kühntopf, Regional Officer for St. Verena; Dominik Portmann, Administrator; Karin Burckhardt, Secretariat.

Exchange with Rolf Steiner, President, Martin Ammann, Marcel Barth, André Füglister, Tobias Grimbacher, Adrienne Hochuli, Alfons Lenherr, P. Paul Zahner, Christa Scherrer

Csongor Kozma, Director, René Zihlmann, former President, Hanspeter von Däniker, former Director.

Exchange with Roman Baumann, President, and members of this organisation.

Exchange with Jitika Winkler, president, and the women of this service club.

Exchange with Christoph Sterkman, Episcopal Vicar of St. Ursen, Ivo Corvini-Mohn, President, Wanda Bürgin, Vice-President, Monika Fraefel-Langendorf, Sergio Marelli, Martin Tanner, Joseph Thali-Kernen, Silvan Ulrich, Martin Kohler, Administrator, Stephan Bär, Deputy Administrator, Sarah Graf, Secretariat.

18th of January 2020 – Members of the Solothurn Cantonal Parliament from the districts of Thierstein and Dorneck

Exchange with Hans Büttiker, Kuno Gasser, Karin Kälin, Susanne Koch, Peter M. Linz, Stefan Oser, Christian Thalmann, Daniel Urech, Bruno Vögtli, Councillor Remo Ankli and former Councillors Klaus Fischer and Walter Straumann.

This pastoral area combines the Catholic parishes of Burg im Leimental, Hofstetten-Flüh, Metzerlen-Mariastein, Rodersdorf and Witterswil-Bättwil. An exchange with Geri Stöcklin, president, and representatives of the parishes.

25th of November 2019 – Government Council of the Canton of Basel-Stadt

From left to right

Abbot Peter von Sury, RR Eva Herzog, President of the Government Council Elisabeth Ackermann, RR Baschi Dürr, RR Christoph Brutschin, Marco Greiner, Vice-Chancellor, RR Lukas Engelberger, RR Conradin Cramer, Barbara Schüpbach-Guggenbuhl, Chancellor, Mariano Tschuor.

Exchange with President Konrad Knüsel, President of the Parish, Claudia Augustin, Vice President, Urs Stoffel Alice Stehlin, Markus Frei, Grace Staub, Carmen Agnetti, Gabriel Ifrid.

11th of July 2019 – Isabelle Chassot, Director of the Federal Office of Culture

Klaus Fischer, former member of the cantonal government, Abbot Peter von Sury, Isabelle Chassot, Fr Ludwig Ziegerer, Mariano Tschuor.

Exchange with Günter Hulin, pastor for the pastoral area, Linus Grossheutschi, president of the church parish, Georg Sigrist, vice president, Patrizia Grosso, Andrea Bauer, Gustav Ragettli, Vinzenz Schumacher, Catherina Huck.

Exchange with Christian Schlatter, President, and the members of this organisation.

Exchange with Mario Scherrer, church parish president, René Meier, vice president, Ruth Meier, Nicole Köchli, Priska Erb, Veronika Husisten, Gudio Koeninger, Kaspar Egli.

2nd of April 2019 – Solothurn Cantonal Government Council

Since the restoration of the monastery of Mariastein in 1979/71, the cantonal government has regularly visited the monastery and held a meeting there. The following year, the cantonal government invited the monks of Mariastein to Solothurn.

From left to right:
Subprior Brother Martin Maria Planzer, RR Remo Ankli, RR Susanne Schaffner, Abbot Peter von Sury, Landammann Roland Fürst, Prior Father Armin Russi, RR Brigit Wyss, State Chancellor Andreas Eng, RR Roland Heim.

For centuries, Mariastein monks have looked after the parishes of the Leimen Valley in Solothurn. Today, this is no longer the case. The contact with the parishes and church communities has remained.

The following people took part in the meeting with the parish council of Witterswil-Bättwil:

Christoph Speiser, president of the parish council, Hilde Aurnhammer and Rosa Peterhans, members of the parish council, Simone Mangold, administrator, and Madeleine Iseli, parish secretary.

23rd of February 2019 – Swiss Bishops’ Conference

From the back from left to right

Auxiliary Bishop Alain de Raemy, Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey, Auxiliary Bishop Marian Eleganti, Bishop Valer

Front row, from left to right

Subprior Brother Martin Maria Planzer, Auxiliary Bishop Denis Theurillat, Bishop Vitus Huonder, Bishop Felix Gmür, Abbot Peter von Sury, Bishop Marküs Büchel, Prior Father Armin Russi.