The Archdiocese of Vienna has officially set the calendar for the departure of Toni Faber from the head of St. Stephen’s Cathedral parish. The priest will leave the post on August 31, 2027, while the process to select his successor has already begun, as confirmed this Friday by the diocesan spokesperson, Michael Prüller.
The decision has been agreed upon «by mutual agreement» between the Archbishop of Vienna, Josef Grünwidl, and Faber himself. The new parish priest of the cathedral will assume his duties on September 1, 2027, ending a nearly three-decade tenure at the head of the main church in the Austrian capital.
A transition already planned
Although he will step down from leading the parish, the Archdiocese has reiterated that Faber will not leave active ministry. After his retirement, he will continue to serve as a priest and collaborate in the pastoral care of central Vienna, while remaining available to take on other ecclesiastical responsibilities.
As part of this transition, he is expected to vacate the residence he occupies in the Curhaus this year, next to St. Stephen’s Square, to move into an apartment adapted to his needs and owned by the cathedral chapter.
The priest began working at the cathedral parish in 1997 and was appointed parish priest of St. Stephen’s on January 1, 1999 by the then Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn. With nearly thirty years in the position, he will become the priest who has held this responsibility the longest in the history of the cathedral.
The search for a successor begins
The confirmation of the retirement date officially opens the selection process for the next parish priest of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, one of the most significant pastoral assignments in Austria due to its historical, liturgical, and representative importance for the Church in the country.
Faber’s departure had already been announced last May by Archbishop Grünwidl, who explained at the time that the change was due to the priest’s prolonged tenure in the position and his upcoming retirement age. At the same time, he made it clear that the decision did not mean removing him from pastoral life or from the cathedral, where he will continue to collaborate after leaving the parish.
A figure as well-known as he is controversial
At 64 years old, Toni Faber is one of the best-known priests in Austria thanks to his intense presence in the media and his pastoral activity.
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In recent years, however, he has also been involved in various controversies related to his lifestyle and public appearances accompanied by women, episodes that fueled a wide debate in Austrian public opinion. Despite this, the Archdiocese has chosen to keep him linked to the pastoral care of Vienna once his term as parish priest of the cathedral concludes.