On April 1st at 8:15 p.m. – before: “Thoughts on St. Stephen’s Cathedral”
Vienna (OTS) – The ten-part ORF III documentary series about St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which has been presenting new aspects of the Viennese landmark every year since 2015 (even twice in 2020), will be supplemented by another film. The eleventh production is traditionally celebrating its TV premiere in the station’s Easter program this year: On Easter Monday, April 1, 2024, at 8:15 p.m. as part of a five-part themed evening focused on church and faith, ORF III will present the latest documentary “The Cathedral, the Weather and the cycle of the year”. The film by Eva-Maria Berger and Wolfang Niedermair – a co-production of ORF III Kultur and embfilm, in partnership with the association ” Unser Stephansdom”, Erste Bank and Wiener Städtische – shows the cathedral in the interplay of the seasons: as a rock in the surf weather of the federal capital and as a place of worship with its unique atmosphere during liturgical festivals. Before that, “Thoughts on St. Stephen’s Cathedral” by prominent personalities (8:05 p.m.) sets the mood for the themed evening, which includes another three programs that humorously search for traces of the Judeo-Christian roots of our culture: “When the Rabbi laughs” (9:05 p.m.), “Massel and mess” (9:50 p.m.) and “How the Bible became holy – Josef Hader in the Holy Land” (10:35 p.m.).
At a photo session in St. Stephen’s Cathedral on the occasion of the first broadcast today, Thursday, March 21st, the ORF III managing directors Peter Schöber and Kathrin Zierhut-Kunz, the chairman of the association “Our Stephansdom” association, Günter Geyer, cathedral pastor Toni Faber and filmmaker Eva-Maria Berger.
Cathedral priest Faber: New documentation shows “Steffl in the eventful annual cycle, both in the meteorological and liturgical sense”
“As a cathedral priest, I support St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the people who visit it very intensively during the course of a church year. I am particularly pleased that the new ORF III documentation shows our Steffl in the eventful annual cycle, both in the meteorological and liturgical sense. “We are presenting another of the many interesting facets that Austria’s most important place of worship has to offer,” says cathedral priest Toni Faber.
“Our St. Stephen’s Cathedral” chairman Geyer: “Great film projects present diverse and often lesser-known facets of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.”
“St. Stephen’s Cathedral in the impressive interplay of the seasons is the subject of this year’s ORF III documentary, which will be at least as impressive as the previous ones – I am convinced of that! ORF III’s great film projects present the diverse and often lesser-known facets of St. Stephen’s Cathedral to a broad public and thus help to further advance the ‘Stephan’s Cathedral project of the century’ and to preserve it for future generations. I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved and I wish the viewers the best entertainment!” said “Our St. Stephen’s Cathedral” chairman Dr. Günter Geyer.
ORF III program manager Schöber: Documentary illustrates “the importance of the house of worship as an external and internal constant for people”
“From the beginning to the destruction to the reconstruction after 1945, ORF III has illuminated the landmark of the city of Vienna from various historical sides in ten documentaries since 2015. It is particularly important to us that, especially now, when we are increasingly confronted with images of war, flight and expulsion on a daily basis, our new, eleventh production deals with the meaning of the house of worship as an external and internal constant for people. I am pleased that ORF III is helping to reach many viewers with its deeply public service productions on the subject of church and faith as well as with the live broadcast of church services, such as the Triduum Sacrum from St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna during Easter to give a little confidence and support in difficult times. “I would like to thank our tried and tested partners: the ‘Our Stephansdom’ association, especially Günter Geyer and Robert Lasshofer, Wiener Städtische Versicherung and Erste Bank,” said ORF III program manager Peter Schöber.
ORF III Easter program around St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna
Liturgically, the Viennese landmark is once again the focus of the ORF III Easter program this year. The station broadcasts the Easter celebrations live from St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna with Archbishop Cardinal Christoph Schönborn and the Vienna Cathedral Music. The Triduum Sacrum is ushered in with the service on Maundy Thursday including the ritual of washing the feet (March 28, 7 p.m.), followed by the Good Friday liturgy (March 29, 6 p.m.) in memory of the suffering and death of Jesus and the Resurrection celebration on the Easter Vigil (March 30, 9:10 p.m.) as the highlight of the Catholic church year. On Easter Monday, ORF III will broadcast a Protestant service live from Vienna Liesing (April 1, 10 a.m.).
Easter as a celebration of culinary traditions and time-honored customs is the focus of the “Magic Easter” channel, which is primarily programmed in the mornings: the documentaries tell the story of the “Secrets of Holy Week” (March 25, 7:20 p.m.), about “Easter Fire and the Mystery of the Resurrection” (March 30, 8:35 a.m.) or “Of Very Special Easter Eggs” (March 31, 9:35 a.m.). “ORF III Theme Monday” (March 25th) features “The Easter Check: Easter bunnies and chocolate eggs in comparison” (8:15 p.m.) and “The Lindt Chocolate Check” (9:05 p.m.). On Maundy Thursday (March 28th), the new “Land of the Mountains” production “High and Holy: Pilgrimage Routes in the Mountains” (9:10 p.m.) accompanies former ORF “Money Maker” Alexander Rüdiger on a long-distance spiritual journey. This is followed by “Pilgrimages with Viktor Gernot and Fifi Pissecker” (10 p.m.).
Classic Easter presents the “Experience Stage” program:
Johann Sebastian Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” from the Tyrolean Festival Erl 2021 will be performed on Good Friday (March 29th, 8:00 a.m.). On Easter Sunday (March 31st), ORF III will broadcast live from the Golden Hall of the Vienna Music Association the traditional Easter concert of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, “Spring in Vienna 2024” (8:15 p.m.).
Further details about the documentary “The Cathedral, the Weather and the Ordinary Time” and the ORF Easter program are available at presse.ORF.at.