Hubertus Masses 2026: vigils and protests at a glance

From Arlesheim to Speyer: where animal welfare campaigners are taking to the streets against church services for recreational hunters. Updated continuously.

Editorial team Wild beim Wild · 31 October 2026

People in front of the ornate portal of a cathedral

Symbolic image: outside more and more churches holding Hubertus Masses, vigils are being held. Photo: Domenico Adornato, Unsplash

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Around St Hubert's Day on 3 November, recreational hunters in churches from the North Sea to Sicily celebrate their Hubertus Masses, with hunting horns, trophies in front of the altar and the blessing of weapons and dogs. What is new is that they are increasingly no longer alone: in Switzerland, Germany and Italy, animal welfare campaigners are standing outside the churches. This ticker documents the vigils, rallies and protests of the 2026 season and will be updated continuously until the end of November. The latest entries appear at the top.

The IG Wild beim Wild has set out several times what this is about: the Hubertus legend is not about moderate hunting, but about stopping. After his encounter with the stag, Hubertus lays down his weapon. When the Church nevertheless blesses killing, it turns its own saint on his head. That is why the petition 'No more Hubertus Masses in churches' calls on parishes to stop giving recreational hunting a stage.

In Austria, the Verein gegen Tierfabriken (VGT), which already protested in front of Vienna's St Stephen's Cathedral in 2022, demonstrated this year against the provincial Hubertus Mass in Salzburg. The editorial team welcomes tips about further vigils at info@wildbeimwild.com.

Ticker

31.10.2026
Sat 10:30

Flawil SG: vigil announced against the Hubertus Mass of 8 November

The third vigil in Switzerland within three weeks: on Sunday, 8 November 2026, the Catholic church of St. Laurentius in Flawil will hold its Hubertus Mass from 10.15 am with the hunting horn group Schlaufuchs. Hunt Watch has announced a peaceful vigil on Enzenbühlstrasse, opposite the church, from 9.30 am to 12.15 pm; so far 15 people have responded on Facebook. For those who do not know Hunt Watch: The group focuses on the people who kill animals, and has been documenting driven hunts in Switzerland for years.

30.10.2026
Fri 12:30

Zurich: pastor asks for restraint, Hunt Watch stays

On Sunday, 15 November 2026, the Reformed Stadtkirche St. Peter will hold its Hubertus Mass at 10 am, organised by JagdZürich, with around 400 guests expected, including the canton's newly licensed recreational hunters. The pastor has asked Hunt Watch in writing to forgo the vigil approved by the city, and has declined to cover the permit fee. Hunt Watch replied that a peaceful vigil is not a refusal of dialogue, and will be standing in front of the church from 9.15 am. The full correspondence in the article.

30.10.2026
Fri 10:54

Speyer (Germany): three demonstrations registered in front of the cathedral

In the Imperial Cathedral of Speyer, the Kaiserslautern district group and the Karlsruhe hunters' association are inviting people to a Hubertus Mass on Saturday, 7 November 2026: from 3.30 pm a "Grosser Hörnerklang" (great horn concert) in the nave, a Hubertus address at 5.10 pm, and Mass at 6 pm with ten hunting horn groups from Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg. According to the city, three assemblies with 15, 30 and up to 50 expected participants have been registered on the cathedral forecourt, plus an information stand near the cathedral. The Mass has according to Rheinpfalz been regularly accompanied by protests for years.

29.10.2026
Thu 11:00

Germany: PETA criticises a dozen Hubertus Masses

Over the past two weeks, PETA Germany has published a series of press releases on individual Hubertus Masses, including those at the parish church of St. Peter in Munich (3 November), Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn (31 October), Breklum, Oldenburg and Witzenhausen (1 November), Kranichstein hunting lodge (2 November), Greifswald, Bleicherode and Burg Wallenstein. In each case the organisation calls on the parishes to distance themselves from the "violence-glorifying Masses" and reminds them that Hubertus turned from hunter to opponent of hunting. The releases can be found on the PETA press portal.

28.10.2026
Wed 12:00

Salzburg (A): VGT protests against the Landeshubertusmesse with a dead red deer on a carriage

On Sunday, 25 October 2026, Salzburg's hunting community processed from the Grosses Festspielhaus through the old town to the cathedral for the Landeshubertusmesse, celebrated by Prelate Johann Reissmeier, with Governor Karoline Edtstadler and Landtag President Brigitta Pallauf as guests of honour; State Master of the Hunt Max Mayr-Melnhof described hunting as a contribution to preserving the cultural landscape, reports MeinBezirk. In front of the cathedral stood the Verein gegen Tierfabriken (VGT) with a demonstration. In these masses, hunting is glorified as a "divine mission" and as "protection and care of God's creatures", writes the VGT; a slain red deer was paraded on a horse-drawn carriage at the mass, a staging that shows that protecting animals is not a priority for hunters. The VGT also criticises that in Austria dogs and cats may still be shot, that foxes, badgers, martens, otters and beavers are hunted intensively, and that trap hunting and driven hunts cause great suffering. The animal welfare site WolfFacts followed up, asking since when a foodstuff needs a cathedral organ, a sermon and a church blessing, when nobody holds a cathedral mass in honour of butchers.

26.10.2026
Mon 09:39

Arlesheim BL: Priest thanks hunting opponents, collection goes to Hunt Watch

On Sunday, 25 October 2026, Hunt Watch held a vigil, approved by the municipal council, in front of the Arlesheim Cathedral, while inside the Hubertus mass was celebrated with hunting horn players and the Jagdgesellschaft Arlesheim afterwards invited guests to an aperitif. The senior priest personally welcomed the group with vegan refreshments, mentioned the vigil several times during the service, thanked each activist with a handshake after the mass and allocated the entire collection to Hunt Watch's animal rights work. The report with photos and video.

13.09.2026
Sun 09:00

Stella (I): Animal welfare activists criticise Sant’Uberto gathering with authority representatives

The early start of the season in Liguria: at the Sant’Uberto celebration at the chapel of Giovo Ligure in Stella (province of Savona), the Partito Animalista Italiano and the Osservatorio Savonese Animalista criticised the fact that officials attend a celebration glorifying an activity in which thousands of wild animals die every year and in which people are repeatedly injured or killed, and that a place of worship opens its doors for it. Liguria24 reported.

Calendar: the announced Hubertus Masses

Where blessings are being given: this season, IG Wild beim Wild and PETA Germany have sent a press release to the parish and the local media for every publicly announced Hubertus Mass. The list shows how dense the network is, and where no vigil has yet been held. In chronological order by date of the Mass.

Switzerland: press releases from IG Wild beim Wild

Wed 2 Sept., Lucerne LU, Franciscan Church: Hubertus Mass
Sun 20 Sept., Wildegg AG, Catholic church: Service with hunting horn accompaniment
Sun 27 Sept., Jonschwil SG, St. Martin: Service with hunting horn players
Sun 18 Oct., Flühli LU, parish church: Hubertus Mass
Sun 18 Oct., Nebikon LU, parish church: Hubertus Mass
Sun 18 Oct., Sempach LU, parish church: Hubertus Mass
Sat 24 Oct., Wassen UR: Hubertus shooting
Sun 25 Oct., Arlesheim BL, Cathedral: Hubertus Mass (vigil, see ticker)
25 to 30 Oct., Beatenberg BE, Reformed church and Drachenarena: Natural horn days with open-air concert for St. Hubertus
Tue 3 Nov., Pfynwald VS, in the open air: Valais Hubertus celebration
Sun 8 Nov., Flawil SG, St. Laurentius: Hubertus Mass (vigil, see ticker)
Sun 8 Nov., Hergiswald LU, pilgrimage church: Hubertus Mass
Sun 8 Nov., Schwarzsee FR, St. Niklaus: Hubertus Mass
Sun 8 Nov., Sennwald SG, Catholic church: Hubertus Mass
Sun 8 Nov., Lucerne LU, Jesuit Church: Service with natural horn players
Sun 15 Nov., Zurich ZH, St. Peter: Hubertus Mass with licensing ceremony (vigil, see ticker)
Sun 15 Nov., Fislisbach AG, Catholic church: Hubertus Mass
Sun 15 Nov., Lichtensteig SG, church: Hubertus Mass
Sun 15 Nov., Hergiswil NW, parish church: Hubertus Mass of the Nidwalden licence hunters' association
Fri 20 Nov., Hinterkappelen BE, Bergfeld hunting shooting range: Hubertus celebration with sermon
Sun 22 Nov., Wil SG, St. Niklaus: Hubertus Mass
Mon 28 Dec., Schlierbach LU, Rochus Chapel: Hubertus Mass of the Säckwald hunting society
Sun 10 Jan. 2027, Eich LU, parish church: Hubertus Mass

Germany: press releases from PETA

Since mid-October, PETA Germany has been writing to parishes on a daily basis, always under the title “Killing with the Church's blessing”. All the releases can be found in the PETA press portal, wildlife section.

Sat 17 Oct., Neustadt (Dosse), main and state stud farm: Hubertus Mass with drag hunt
Sun 18.10., Wertheim, Bronnbach Abbey Church: Hubertus Mass
Sat/Sun 24/25.10., Springe, Wisent (bison) enclosure: Hubertus festival with ecumenical Mass and «game meat raffle»
Sat 24.10., Steinheim an der Murr, Holy Spirit Church: Hubertus Mass of the Ludwigsburg hunters' association
Sat 24.10., Mühlhausen, St. Josef: Hubertus Mass
Sun 25.10., Breuberg-Neustadt, Protestant Church: Hubertus Mass
Sun 25.10., Niddatal, Pilgrimage Church of St. Gangolf (Maria Sternbach): Hubertus Mass
Sun 25.10., Kirn-Sulzbach, St. Josef Calasanza: Hubertus Mass
Fri 30.10., Fulda, Parish Church of St. Blasius: Hubertus Mass
Sat 31.10., Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn, St. Leonhard: Hubertus Mass
Sun 1.11., Oldenburg, Ohmstede Church: Hubertus Mass
Sun 1.11., Breklum, St. Olaf: Hubertus Mass
Sun 1.11., Witzenhausen, Church of Our Lady: Hubertus Mass
Mon 2.11., Darmstadt, Kranichstein Hunting Lodge, Parforcehof: Hubertus Mass
Mon 2.11., Bleicherode, Town Church of St. Marien: Hubertus Mass
Mon 2.11., Greifswald, St. Marien Church: Hubertus Mass
Tue 3.11., Knüllwald, Wallenstein Castle: Hubertus Mass
Tue 3.11., Munich, Parish Church of St. Peter: Hubertus Mass
Sat 7.11., Speyer, Imperial Cathedral: Hubertus Mass with the «Great Horn Sounding» (three demonstrations registered, see ticker)

Get involved

The next vigils in Switzerland: Flawil SG on Sunday, 8 November, 9.30 a.m., Enzenbühlstrasse opposite the Church of St. Laurentius; Zurich on Sunday, 15 November, 9.15 a.m., in front of St. Peter's Church in the old town. The vigils are silent and peaceful, and access to the church remains open. If you want to reach the churches directly, sign the petition 'No more Hubertus Masses in churches'. And on 11 November at 11:11 a.m. we will observe a minute of silence on World Day Against Hunting for wild animals.

More on the subject of recreational hunting: In the dossier Alternatives to recreational hunting we show political and practical alternatives to recreational hunting. What the research says about this is shown by Hunting fact-checked: the state of research.

The position of IG Wild beim Wild: IG Wild beim Wild rejects recreational hunting. Our model is the canton of Geneva, which has managed without recreational hunting since 1974: without hunting seasons, without hunting dogs, without driven hunts, without high seats, without the animal cruelty and crime that go hand in hand with hunting season elsewhere. What has worked there for over fifty years disproves every position paper by JagdSchweiz. An association that bases its policy on claims it refutes in its own documents is not a professional organisation, but a factory for misinformation.

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Wild beim Wild editorial team

All articles are written by IG Wild beim Wild as well as by external co-authors. Research, structuring and editorial processes may be supported by AI-assisted tools.