Aufhausen Priory

Aufhausen Priory stands in the rolling countryside of the Upper Palatinate, near Regensburg in Bavaria. It began in the late 17th century as an Oratorian community founded by the local priest Johann Georg Seidenbusch. Seidenbusch built a lively centre of prayer and pilgrimage dedicated to Our Lady of the Snows. After his death in 1729 the priory kept its mission alive under the rule of Saint Philip Neri. The Bavarian secularisation of 1802–03 did not close it, though it was renamed the Royal Nerian Institute. By 1886 the last provost had died and the buildings stood empty for many years. The priory was re-settled in 1890 by monks from Metten Abbey, who rebuilt part of the complex. In 1978 the community left again, leaving the priory silent once more. In 2006 Father Winfried M. Wermter brought the Brothers of the Holy Blood to care for the parish. By 2012 the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri had re-formed in Aufhausen, restoring daily prayer and pastoral work. The present community follows the Oratorian way of life revived by Seidenbusch three centuries earlier. Visitors find a quiet monastery church with simple altars and soft light. The surrounding farmland and wooded hills offer long walks through open fields and shaded paths. Inside, the walls still carry the quiet atmosphere of prayer fostered by generations of Oratorians. The priory garden provides a place to rest beside old fruit trees and flowering borders. From the church tower there are views across the Upper Palatinate’s gentle countryside. The place remains a centre of devotion and peace, much as Seidenbusch intended.