Ronan: Heinz Christian Strache is in charge now, although I don’t think he attended this year. It’s mostly an initiative of the Burschenschaften, many of whom are Freedom Party members, but some from the ÖVP as well.

Kevinf: the cemetery is indeed bounded by Vienna’s beltway, a busy thoroughfare and apartment buildings, mine being one of them. It’s a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city for this country boy.

Curious: I don’t know the difference between pro bono and pro forma, so I don’t think lawyering ability plays much of a role. An unexpected tap on the shoulder appears to be the method.

PatrickF: I turn think it’s interesting to hear from expats who lived here before my time. Bishop Vincent’s son still lives here with his family and there are still a few others around I’m sure you’d recognize. The branch is now a ward but there remain serious challenges regarding activity and growth. Still, it’s chock full of some of the kindest people on the planet.

Jonathan and Chad: Preach on brothers. Our own trips to the States are marked by frequent lunches at Del Taco and there is always a large freezer bag of sauce packets to take back at the end.

Now I’m drooling for the chili-cheese fries. And it’s lunchtime. I’m guessing my leftovers are so not going to fill the void.

So interesting to hear from an expat in Vienna. My family lived in the 8th District (Josefstadt) in 1991-92, while I worked in Kuwait. They attended the International Branch, which met at a building near the Prater - this was back when Larry Vincent was Branch President. It would be interesting to hear how the Church is faring these days.

When we were there, the old Soviet countries were still coming apart at the seams, and there was a huge influx of refugees into Vienna. This of course led to Haider and his followers taking a leading control of city politics. Interesting how things change, yet stay the same….

Curious