Feeling
Station 2 Puchenau
In the cave, Benedict felt aware of the presence of God.
Meditation text to listen to
Meditation text for the journey
to Eidenberg
What distracts me from meditating?
What helps me to be in harmony with myself?
Where do I feel the presence of God?
As I walk to Eidenberg, I look for a place which provides a good view over the Danube. The river has two banks: one which is on the far side of the water, and one which is on my side. Sometimes, or perhaps quite often, I do not feel present with myself, but rather, I feel as if I am on the far side of the river. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I am challenged by many demands, and sometimes I may allow myself to drift away from myself. I gaze upon this miracle that is the Danube. Water, which is collected within the ground, springs up from many sources to become a stream, and later a river. The Danube travels 2,850 kilometers and is enriched by many tributaries until it flows into the sea, part of a great water cycle. I am experiencing God's magnificent creation.
From the Danube beach to Koglerau, this is how the municipality at the ‘Linzer Pforte’, a narrow section of the Danube between Ottensheim and Linz, can be described. In a narrow valley less than 2 km long, a remarkably densely populated village stretches out on both sides of the Rohrbach federal road. Puchenau has been documented as a Bavarian settlement colony since the beginning of the 9th century. From the 12th century onwards, Puchenau was part of the Duchy of Austria. However, the municipality as we know it today was only established in 1893 when it separated from neighbouring Ottensheim. Until after the Second World War, Puchenau was very rural in character, but it has since developed into a popular place to live on the outskirts of Linz. The garden city designed by architect Roland Rainer in particular has attracted a large influx of new residents. The 17th-century castle, situated imposingly on the north-western slope beyond the main road, bears witness to history. Its builder, Count Schallenberg, ruined himself financially, and it subsequently changed hands frequently. Today it is used for apartments and as a business park. The old parish church (now the cemetery church) in the cemetery is worth seeing. The new parish church was built around 1975 according to plans by Roland Rainer and is dedicated to St. Andrew. Rainer based his design on Armenian central church interiors. Three octagonal central rooms of different heights divide the church and its functions as a central place of worship, a baptistery and a weekday chapel. The masonry consists of old hand-cut bricks. Since the 17th century, the parish of Puchenau has been administered by Wilhering Abbey.
