Saint Anna's Church in Steinbruch

Maria Pötsch pilgrimage church in the market town of Altenfelden in the Böhmerwald holiday region.

The pilgrimage church MARIA PÖTSCH is located in a small side valley of the Große Mühl. The pilgrimage image is an imitation of a miracle in the 17th century in the Hungarian village of Pocs (Pötsch), in which a painting of the Mother of God shed copious tears. The painting is now in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna (since 1967). The pilgrimage picture of Maria Pötsch appeared in the Feuchtenbacherwald as early as 1793. In 1849, the owner of the Aichbauern estate, Mathias Pichler from Oberfeuchtenbach, had a wooden chapel built in the so-called Aichbauern wood. Due to the ever-increasing number of pilgrims from far and wide, even from Bohemia, the community of Altenfelden had the small chapel demolished in 1875 and a new one built of stone, much larger than the previous one. In 1886, the pilgrimage chapel received a new high altar. In 1901, the bishop presented a relic for the altar. Then on 1 August 1902, Bishop Doppelhammer, who had made the first pilgrimage to Pötsch as a boy at his mother's side, granted the chapel a licence for a few Holy Masses a year. Since then Altenfelden has been going to Maria Pötsch in May and after the harvest festival to celebrate Holy Mass there. The various parish groups also hold their devotions there. In 1969, a Way of the Cross was built along the footpath from the car park to the chapel. There are copper panels attached to stone pillars. In 1980, the church was renovated inside and out. Today Maria Pötsch is a much-visited place of pilgrimage. There are still foot pilgrims from a number of parishes (e.g. Eferding, Stroheim, St. Agatha, St. Peter and others). Above all, however, there are now many visitors who come here in their cars to hold private devotions. Occasionally, parish pilgrimages also come by bus.

Source: https://www.altenfelden.at/Wallfahrtskirche_Maria_Poetsch