Sacred Heart Fires

Ceremonial procession with the brass band into the respective parish church, followed by Holy Mass and a procession – marching serenade by the brass bands

Teis: 8.00 am

St. Peter: 9.30 am



In the evening, the Sacred Heart fires (Herz-Jesu-Feuer) are lit on mountain ridges throughout South Tyrol. This ancient tradition—originally midsummer bonfires, later St. John’s fires—was reinterpreted in 1796 as a Christian Sacred Heart vow when Napoleon’s army stood at the gates. Faced with the imminent threat of war, the Tyrolean parliament decided at that time to entrust the land to the “Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” in order to seek divine assistance. When, shortly thereafter, the troops led by Andreas Hofer unexpectedly defeated the French and Bavarian forces in battle, Sacred Heart Sunday became a major religious holiday.