Ursulinenkirche (St. Mark’s Church)

The Ursulinenkirche (St. Mark’s Church) is located in Gstättengasse on Ursulinenplatz in Salzburg’s old town.St. Mark’s Day (April 25 ) is the patronal feast.Because it was the Ursuline monastery church until 1957, it is also known as the Ursuline Church.In 1999, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic community was given access to the Roman Catholic baroque church.

The baroque structure was erected according to Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach’s ideas.The old Ursuline Church and the Ursuline Monastery, comprising the inner courtyard, are designated as archaeological findings and are part of Salzburg’s UNESCO World Heritage Historic Center.

Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun was constantly concerned with social issues as a sovereign.at 1695, he summoned the Ursuline community to Salzburg, which was initially housed outside the city at what is now Arenberg Castle, but was shortly to relocate to the Klausentor outside the city.

In 1616, Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus began construction of a chapel with a monastery and hospital dedicated to St. Mark, which was consecrated on April 25, 1618, St. Mark’s feast day.The hospital officially inaugurated on April 28th.The hospital was created by the Order of the Brothers of Mercy of St. John, who are God’s caretakers.

The hospital chapel was destroyed in 1669 by the Great Rock Fall in 1669.The foundation stone for the Ursuline monastery and associated church was put here in 1699, and it was finished and turned over to the Ursuline sisters in 1705.In 1720, the monastery was inhabited.They are not directly attested in written papers as a work by Fischer von Erlach, but his authorship of the architectural complex is unquestionable in terms of style.

The Ursulines and their school, a private grammar school, relocated to Glasenbach in 1957. The Archdiocese of Salzburg assumed rectorship of St. Mark’s Church.

It was made available to the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic community in Austria in 1999 (Ordarius : Roman-Catholic Archbishop of Vienna), where it became the central church of the West Austrian pastoral care center, which is represented by the pastoral care center of the central parish of St. Barbara in Vienna.Since then, the services have been held according to the Byzantine rite.An ecumenical evening prayer with Taizé music is held on occasion.

The architect built a church with beautifully flowing lines and baroque vigor on the restricted area between the steep rock face of the Mönchsberg and the castle wall facing the Salzach.The towers are placed back laterally to take use of the restricted area and provide room for a large entryway.

The porch of the church includes pilasters with Ionian capitals and an added triangular gable over the essay with a huge cartouche-like window, which is capped with the figure of Saint Mark encircled by Saints Augustine and Ursula.Bernhard Michael Mandl most likely produced these figurines.