The Austrian town of Frohnleiten, located 30 kilometres north of Graz, marked the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi on 4 October 2026 with a special gesture of gratitude to Croatian Franciscans from Herzegovina. By unanimous decision, the Town Council designated the area between the monastery and the former Church of St Catherine as **Franciscan Square**, Radio Mir Medjugorje reported.
The naming of the square paid tribute to the Franciscans who served as parish pastoral ministers in Frohnleiten for a full 51 years, from 1967 to 2018. The ceremony coincided with another town anniversary: that same day marked 25 years since Frohnleiten was declared a town. The history of the place itself can be traced back to 1296.
In his ceremonial address, Mayor **Johannes Wagner** called the parish church, which stands above the town’s main square, “the heart of the town.” He described it as a place where people like to gather for prayer, joyful celebrations and moments of reflection. Radio Mir Medjugorje also reported on his personal connection with the Franciscan community: Wagner, a member of the Christian People’s Party, grew up in a Franciscan atmosphere from an early age and served as an altar server even after completing his military service.
Gratitude to Fr Šimun Oreč
At the blessing of the square, the mayor particularly highlighted the contributions of **Fr Šimun Oreč**, who served as parish priest in Frohnleiten for 42 years. Radio Mir Medjugorje’s report describes him as a highly esteemed parish priest and says that, over those five decades, the parish and monastery became a spiritual centre whose influence extended far beyond the town’s boundaries.
According to the same report, at the ceremony Fr Šimun remembered all the Franciscans who had served there in the spirit of St Francis, especially those who had already died. Among them, he also mentioned the recently deceased **Fr Ljubo Lebo**, formerly a chaplain in Frohnleiten and parish priest of the neighbouring parish of Peggau-Deutschfeistritz.
Franciscan heritage in the church and monastery garden
Two works of art also recall the Franciscans’ ministry in Frohnleiten: a stained-glass window in the parish church and the Franciscan Fountain in the monastery garden. The magnificent stained-glass window, located above the main entrance to the parish church, is dedicated to **St Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures**. It was created in 2008 by Styrian artist Gerald Brettschuh.
The Franciscan Fountain in the monastery garden is the work of Frohnleiten artist **Edwin Eder**, dating from 1992. It depicts the motif of the sermon to the birds. Radio Mir Medjugorje’s report interprets this motif as a reminder of responsibility towards the created world and all creation.
A large number of people gathered by the fountain on 4 October for a Franciscan meditation. It was led by Fr Šimun, and a singing group from the parish also took part. An exhibition in the pavilion in the monastery garden recalled how the Franciscan works of art mentioned above came into being, as well as other exhibitions dedicated to St Francis of Assisi.
