Europassion Congress 2026

Faith. Culture. Community.

From 2–5 July 2026, St. Margarethen, Austria, welcomed 175 participants from 38 Europassion member groups across 13 European countries to the 2026 Europassion Congress. More than an annual gathering, the congress celebrated the shared mission of preserving the Passion Play tradition while strengthening the bonds of Faith. Culture. Community. that unite our members across Europe.

The congress opened on Thursday with a warm welcome from the hosts, marking the beginning of four days of exchange, friendship and inspiration.

On Friday, participants travelled to the House of the European Union in Vienna. In their opening addresses, Member of the European Parliament Alexander Bernhuber and Europassion President Thomas Hummel emphasised the richness of Europe's shared cultural heritage and the importance of cross-border cooperation in keeping the Passion Play tradition alive. Members were also presented with the results of last year's member survey and introduced to the first concrete initiatives supporting Europassion's renewed guiding pillars: Faith. Culture. Community. The visit concluded with a presentation on the history of St. Margarethen and its Passion Play.

In the afternoon, the congress continued at the Austrian Parliament, where participants were welcomed by Parliament President Walter Rosenkranz before taking a guided tour through the heart of Austrian democracy. Members were particularly fascinated by the Parliament's multilingual history, as its main chamber once accommodated representatives speaking 13 different languages—a powerful reminder of Europe's diversity and unity. The day concluded with a Eucharistic celebration in the parish church of St. Margarethen, presided over by the Vicar General of the Diocese of Eisenstadt and accompanied by the St. Margarethen Passion Orchestra. Afterwards, the 2026 Congress Tree—an olive tree symbolising peace, hope and lasting friendship—was presented and will remain in the centre of St. Margarethen as a lasting reminder of the congress.

Saturday began with a remarkable live performance of excerpts from the newly composed St. Margarethen Passion music in the Haydn Concert Hall at Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt, followed by a guided tour of the palace. The congress then moved to the impressive St. Margarethen Quarry, transformed into a modern open-air venue and home of the St. Margarethen Passion Play. After an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour, participants attended the four-hour production depicting the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The newly staged production, telling the Passion story through the perspective of the women who accompanied Jesus, received standing ovations from the audience.

The congress concluded on Saturday evening with a joint reception of congress participants and the local Passion players, hosted by the Governor of Burgenland, Hans Peter Doskozil. After three days of strengthening friendships, sharing experiences and celebrating a common Christian and cultural heritage, the Europassion sculpture was ceremonially handed over to the hosts of the 2027 Europassion Congress in Tirschenreuth, Germany, from 22–25 April 2027—a symbol that the Europassion family continues to grow together, united by Faith. Culture. Community.

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