Heiligkreuzkirche Kirchberg
The Roman Catholic Heiligkreuzkirche (also Peter and Paul Church ) in Kirchberg SG was first mentioned in a document in 1215.
history
The first Kirchberg church was built around the year 1000 by the St. Gallen monastery. It was consecrated by the apostles Peter and Paul and first mentioned in a document in 1215. At that time, however, no pastor lived in Kirchberg. The people priest of Rickenbach visited the church on certain days and held the service. In a document dated August 2, 1359, this relationship was reversed and the pastor lived in Kirchberg ever since.
Due to the rapid population growth in the 13th / 14th In the 19th century, the first church soon became too small. A second, larger church was therefore built in 1404 on the site of the old one. The church was again consecrated in honor of the apostles Peter and Paul. For financial reasons, however, the tower could not be built for the time being. It wasn't until 32 years later that the money was enough to also build the church tower. Until the reformed church was built in 1554, the Holy Cross Church was used equally. Since then, the church has once again been a purely Roman Catholic.
In 1527 the Kirchbergers converted to the Reformation, but just four years later the majority of the parishioners again adopted the Catholic faith.
According to various sources, the Holy Cross miracle happened on December 16, 1685 (see #Heiligkreuzwunder ). This event gave the cross a new, important meaning in everyday church life. The many pilgrims had enough income to build a high altar and a chapel (1694/1695). In 1704 the newly built chapel was consecrated by Bishop Ferdinand Konrad.
Pastor Lehmann had the third church built in 1748 in honor of the Holy Cross. It was pretty much the same size and extent as the church of today. However, the village was ravaged by a fire in 1784/1785, in which the church including the chapel, rectory and chaplaincy as well as 39 other buildings were totally destroyed. In 1785, the construction of a new, fourth church began again. It was mainly a new building from the destroyed church. Since then, the church has only undergone minor, gentle renovations. B. the ceiling paintings have been preserved to this day.
Holy Cross miracle
Although the cross was still on the side wall at that time, it was the focus of church life. At the end of 1685 the pastor dealt with the cross and gave a sermon in several parts. On the third Sunday of Advent, December 16, 1685, according to several dozen churchgoers, the cross fastened with 3 nails is said to have moved away from the wall, there a little to and fro and finally back to its place. The pastor himself only noticed how the crowd was restless during the service and got up. 14 of the around 100 witnesses were heard by an episcopal commission of inquiry. The incident was then "approved as authentic and truthful" by the investigative commission.
In the years that followed, strange incidents were reported again and again. At the end of the 18th century, reports of alleged miraculous powers fell silent. However, today there is still the Holy Cross Day (September 14th), which is a church holiday in the Kirchberg parish.
Members of the parish
| year | Communicantes / members |
|---|---|
| 1603 | 727 |
| 1658 | 832 |
| 1678 | 1061 |
| ~ 1750 | 1890 |
construction
Today's church consists of two parts: the attached chapel and the actual church. In the back of the church there is a gallery on which the church organ stands. In the front part there are two side altars, a pulpit as well as a people's altar and a high altar. To the left and right of the high altar there are also two statues of the apostles Peter and Paul. There are also magnificent choir stalls carved from wood on each side .
There are six bells in the tower (G ° A ° cega). Two bells (c and e) were replaced in 1988. The other four bells were raised in 1935. There is a church clock on all four sides of the church tower. In the chapel there is a large painting of the miracle of the Holy Cross.
literature
- Toni Schönenberger: The miracle of the Holy Cross in Kirchberg SG - December 16, 1685. Kirchberg 1985.
- Fridolin Gschwend (ed.): The holy cross in Kirchberg. Bazenheid 1934.
- Joseph Heinrich Dietrich: History of the community Kirchberg. Bazenheid 1952.
- Josef Grünenfelder: Kirchberg. Parish and pilgrimage church of St. Peter and Paul. (Swiss Art Guide, No. 136). Ed. Society for Swiss Art History GSK. Bern 1996, ISBN 978-3-85782-136-3 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Hans Büchler: Kirchberg SG. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland . October 16, 2008 , accessed July 2, 2019 .
- ↑ Johann Georg Schenkle: A praise preaching , Constance 1686, chapter 7.
- ↑ People aged 14 and over (both sexes)
Coordinates: 47 ° 24 '41.9 " N , 9 ° 2' 25.4" E ; CH1903: 720,881 / 252435