About Saint Florian:
Saint Florian was a soldier in the Roman Army and became the commander of the imperial army in the Roman province of Noricum. In addition to his military duties, he was also responsible for organizing and leading firefighting brigades. Florian organized and trained an elite group of soldiers whose sole duty was to fight fires, and is therefor known as the Patron Saint of Firefighters.
He ran into trouble with the emperor Diocletian when it was revealed that he was not enforcing the persecution of Christians, and when he refused to sacrifice to Roman gods, he was sentenced to death…ordered to be burned at the stake. As it turned out he was actually drowned by being thrown in to the river with a millstone around his neck.
We celebrate the Feast of Saint Florian on May 9.
An interesting note: you will find a full size statue of Saint Florian in the Catholic Memorial at Ground Zero in New York City.
There is also a Basilica of Saint Florian in Krakow, Poland.
About Saint Florian’s Monastery in Sankt Florian, Austria:
One of the oldest and most beautiful monasteries in Austria, Saint Florian’s is perhaps not as well known as Melk Abbey, but it should be in our opinion. St. Florian’s Priory has two organs, the larger one of which is known as the “Bruckner organ”. It was played by composer and organist Anton Bruckner, who was previously a choir boy at the monastery. He is buried beneath the organ inside the church directly under the organ that bears his name. There are many concerts here and the monastery is also home to the famous Saint Florian’s Boys Choir, which performs internationally.
You are welcome to attend daily masses and other devotions.
There is a guesthouse and restaurant here for both individuals and groups.
There is an excellent bookstore, sawing and planing mill as well as a Demeter Farm ( farming without chemically/synthetically produced fertilizers and pesticides). Spelt wheat, rye, barley, oats, sunflowers, triticale, broad beans, soybean and clover make the crop rotation diverse.
The Strobl mill processes their grain into high-quality products that are available throughout Austria in the natural food trade.
In order to expand the supply of fertilizers, pigs have been fattened at the farm since 2001. The piglets are 100 percent from an organic farm. The species-appropriate husbandry with spout, straw resting area and farm-owned feed ensures a special meat quality.
Traveling to Saint Florian’s Monastery:
You can travel here by train as far as Linz, then take a cab to the Monastery. It is about 1 hour 30 minutes from Vienna to Linz by train. Get train & bus schedules, see fares & buy tickets here
Address: Stiftstraße 1, 4490 St. Florian, Austria
Tel: +43 7224 8902-0 Fax: +43 7224 8902-23
email: info@stift-st-florian.at
Click here for the official website of Saint Florian’s Monastery in Sankt Florian, Austria. Their website contains a great deal of information regarding the monastery.
