Hildegardisfest 2026: A Pilgrim Gathering in Eibingen
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The 126th Hildegard Festival Eibingen at St. Hildegard Abbey drew around 1,000 pilgrims from countries including France, Belgium, Taiwan, and the United States. The day included Vespers with a homily on attentive listening, the sisters’ singing, and the display of St. Hildegard’s reliquary shrine before a Pontifical High Mass led by Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz.
The Rheingau Echo reported that notable attendees included filmmaker Michael M. Conti, Rev. Dr. Shanon Sterringer, and clergy from Uganda and Austria, alongside local officials. The afternoon featured a keynote on women’s roles in the Church, followed by a procession carrying the shrine through Eibingen’s decorated streets, concluding with closing Vespers.
Editor’s note: This article has been edited for clarity and is not an exact copy of the original. The original German article is available as a PDF at the end of this post.
The Ear of the Soul
The day began early. Pilgrims, many of them young, streamed to the abbey for Vespers, where Father Florin preached on listening. Drawing on an art exhibition poster that declared the ear to be the eye of the soul, he spoke of conscious hearing and attentive listening. Quoting “In the beginning was the Word,” he reminded the congregation that, in Hildegard’s view, human beings are called to praise God, in good times and in bad.
Song That Connects
The sisters’ singing set a reverent tone throughout the morning. Among the guests were pilgrims from Taiwan and the United States. Filmmaker Michael M. Conti, who made The Unruly Mystic: Saint Hildegard (2014), was also in attendance. He and Heather Boyle lead a small international group. Both Michael and Rev. Dr. Shanon Sterringer, from the Community of St. Hildegard in Fairport Harbor, Ohio are members of the German based Scivias Institute. That is an ecumenical community of teachers and students from the fields of theology, art, and psychotherapy, as well as individuals committed to embarking on their own creative and spiritual journeys. After visiting the abbey church, the guests joined the service in the forecourt of the pilgrimage church.
The Shrine and the Pontifical Mass
Before the festivities began, the reliquary shrine of St. Hildegard was carefully removed from its glass dome and placed outside, where members of the Brotherhood of Shrine Bearers stood with it. Many visitors photographed it, and the images circulated around the world that same day.
Father Markus Fischer welcomed the gathering, which included Rüdesheim Mayor Dirk Stuckert, Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Thomas Löhr of Limburg, and Archbishop Paul of Uganda. A group of deaf guests was welcomed, with Father Michael Pauly interpreting into sign language. Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz presided over the Pontifical High Mass, with harpist Sabine Lindner and organist Sebastian Braun. Abbess Katharina Drouvé read the “Hymn to Love” from 1 Corinthians. In his homily, Bishop Kohlgraf described Hildegard as a prophetic figure and a companion for those on the way to a great goal. He noted that she remained simple in her dealings with others, despite her visionary authority.
In Praise of Capable Women
In the afternoon, Dr. Elfriede Franz, chair of the Rupertsberg parish council, gave the keynote during the relic service. Her talk, “In Praise of Capable Women,” started from the figure in Proverbs 31 and compared it with Hildegard’s view of woman as the House of Wisdom, in which women and men stand as equals. Franz then turned to the role of women in the Church and encouraged everyone to keep walking the long path ahead.
The Hildegard Festival Eibingen Procession
Houses along the route were decorated with red-and-white flags. The afternoon’s highlight was the procession carrying the shrine through the streets of Eibingen, and Vespers at 5 p.m. brought the festival to a close. Read more about a Hildegard Feast Day from the pilgrim’s point of view.
Source: Rheingau Echo, Nr. 39, 24 September 2026, “Hildegardisfest mit internationaler Pilgerschar” (translated). PDF of this article shared with permission from the Rheingau Echo. Read the original German article: download the Rheingau Echo article (PDF).
The Hildegard Festival Eibingen draws pilgrims from around the world. To walk the trail yourself, read about walking the Hildegard Way in Germany, or explore the Hildegard Map. The next Saint Hildegard Way journey runs September 8–18, 2027. To hear when reservations open, sign up for the newsletter.