The Mandatum in Heiligenkreuz

In Stift Heiligenkreuz the Mandatum is not held as part of the Mass of the Last Supper, but as a separate ceremony in the morning. Twelve old men from parishes in the pastoral care of the Abbey have their feet washed by the monks, and are then given a meal in the refectory. Usually the Mandatum is held in the cloister, in the so-called “Hall of the Mandatum,” flanked by Giovani Giuliani’s sculptures of the anointing at Bethany and the washing of Peter’s feet (vide this video of the 2011 Mandatum), but this year, on account of the unseasonable cold, it had to be held in the winter chapel. Herr and Frau Ingenieur Franz and Franziska Besau took the following photos from the back of the winter chapel.