Visitation of the Virgin Mary (Ebstorf)
Visitation of the Virgin Mary - St. Mauritius , usually just called the Visitation of Mary for short , is the Roman Catholic Church in Ebstorf , a municipality in the Uelzen district in Lower Saxony . It belongs to the parish of the Divine Redeemer with its seat in Uelzen , in the Lüneburg deanery of the Hildesheim diocese . The church, named after the Feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary , is located at Hauptstrasse 9.
history
The Ebstorf monastery became Protestant in the 16th century through the Reformation . The statue “Mother of Mercy of Ebstorf”, a destination for pilgrimages before the Reformation , first came to Büchen for a few years in the middle of the 17th century , then to Schlackenwerth (today Ostrov ), where it is now known as “ Maria Treu ” in the Catholic parish church is located.
After the early 20th century two Ebstorfer inhabitants to Catholicism converts were set up on their own initiative, in 1916 or 1919 in her parents' home, a 1826-built house, a small Catholic chapel. Since the 1920s, the parish of Uelzen has occasionally held Catholic services there, since the 1930s it has been regular. In 1931 the building was acquired by the Diocese of Hildesheim, and in 1932 the small chapel "Mariä Heimsuchung" was enlarged.
As a result of the Second World War , Catholic refugees and displaced persons from the eastern regions of the German Empire also came to the area around Ebstorf, which has been evangelical since the Reformation, so that the number of Catholics in Ebstorf increased significantly. Already in 1945 Ebstorf became the seat of a vicarie .
In 1966 the building with the chapel was demolished, and in 1967 the church, which still exists today, was built on its property. On November 18, 1967, she was consecrated by Bishop Heinrich Maria Janssen . It was not until August 1st, 1987 that a Catholic parish was established in Ebstorf.
Since November 1st, 2006 the church belongs to the parish of the Divine Redeemer in Uelzen.
Architecture and equipment
The church, located around 66 meters above sea level , was built according to plans by the architect Theo Scholten from Bergisch Gladbach . The copy of the "Mother of Grace of Ebstorf", which was acquired in 1940 for the chapel at the time, is remarkable in her Marienkapelle. The church windows show scenes from the life of the patron saints Maria and Mauritius ; the glass painting was designed by Pauli (Cologne) and carried out in 1967 by Selbach (Cologne). The bridge to Ebstorf's original Christian cell, the Mauritius Monastery, is to be found with the patronage of St. Mauritius.
There were no bells in the bell tower until about mid-2014 . Even today there are none, but the bell tower is equipped with two electronic loudspeaker systems, which can be controlled by one device. With the speakers you can imitate a total of five bells. Usually the bells ring with three bells every Sunday before the service , otherwise only on special holidays like Easter and Christmas with four bells. The ringing of bells can be heard in large parts of Ebstorf through the small openings at the top of the church tower .
The church has no clock tower and no choir, but the church also has a parish hall and a kitchen .
There are paintings and statues , both carved and chiseled, in the church . Among other things, there is a carved figure by Walter Metzele (Holdenstedt), which he had given to his mother, who she then donated to the old parish in Holxen, which was then abolished so that she donated the figure to the Catholic Church in Ebstorf.
On the inner walls there are small carved pictures depicting the Way of the Cross of Jesus. The interior of the church also includes a confessional and an electronic organ . A wooden relief depicts St. Jude Thaddeus . The church is not large, but it is estimated that it can seat 200 people.
Interpretation of the window pictures
| sequence | history |
|---|---|
| 1st window (1st picture) |
The army camp of the Thebaic Legion - surrounded by a palisade wall - on the torrent of the Rhone ( Wallis ). The Primicerius Mauritius is at the head of the legion. |
| 1st window (2nd picture) |
Emperor Maximian gives orders: Sacrifice to the gods, track down and persecute Christians . |
| 1st window (3rd picture) |
Caesar Romanorum Maximian: The emperor demands unconditional obedience. |
| 1st window (4th picture) |
“ Confiteor ”: The soldiers profess their unbreakable loyalty to Christ, but also to the emperor and the empire “Imperium Romanum”. They reject immoral orders. |
| 2nd window (1st picture) |
Since the legion does not obey the emperor's orders, every tenth soldier is beheaded (decimation). |
| 2nd window (2nd picture) |
Mauritius and the legionaries refuse to make sacrifices to Mars , the god of war . |
| 2nd window (3rd picture) |
As a result, every tenth legionnaire is beheaded again. |
| 2nd window (4th picture) |
When the imperial order was issued for the third time, Mauritius spurred the legionaries to persevere in their faith . This time too they refused to sacrifice to the gods. Furious with rage, the emperor had Mauritius and the rest of the legionaries beheaded. |
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Explanation about the stained glass windows next to the entrance door
| sequence | history |
|---|---|
| 1st picture: Annunciation of the Lord (Annunciation) Feast day: March 25th |
The Archangel Gabriel brought the message to Mary: “You are going to conceive a son, and you are to name him Jesus . He will be called the Son of the Most High . The Holy Spirit will come upon you, therefore the child will be called Holy and Son of God . "Mary answered:" I am the handmaid of the Lord; it be done to me according to your word "(Lk 1: 26-36) |
| 2nd picture: Feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary : July 2nd (patronage of the church) |
Maria visits her cousin Elisabeth, who became pregnant with John the Baptist in old age . Elisabeth greeted Mary with the words: "Blessed are you more than all other women, and blessed is the fruit of your body, Jesus." (Lk 1: 39-47) |
| 3rd picture: Jesus' birth Feast day: December 25th |
When Joseph and Mary were in the city of David, Bethlehem , they gave birth to their firstborn son, swaddled him in diapers, and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. An angel of God appeared to the shepherds who kept watch over their flock in the area , and the glory of the Lord shone around them. He said: "Do not be afraid, I announce to you a great joy that will be part of all people: today in the city of David the Savior , Christ the Lord, has been born to you " (Lk 2: 1–20). |
| 4th picture: Escape to Egypt | An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and asked him to flee to Egypt with Mary and the child; for King Herod seeks the child's life. (Mt 2,13-15) |
| 5th picture: Presentation of Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem Feast day: February 2nd |
According to Jewish law, Mary and Joseph were the firstborn children to bring the child to the temple to consecrate (represent) them to the Lord. Jesus meets his people for the first time. In the prophetess Hannah and the righteous Simeon , who live in anticipation of the Messiah , Jesus meets the representatives of his people. (Lk 2.21-40) |
| 6th picture: The twelve year old Jesus is found again in the temple | When Jesus was twelve years old, Mary and Joseph came with him - as was the custom - to celebrate Easter in Jerusalem. He stayed there without their knowledge, they searched for him with pain and found him in the temple among the teachers of the law. He listened to them and asked questions, and everyone who heard him was amazed at his sanity. In response to his mother's reproaches, he replied: “Did you not know that I had to be in what is my father?” (Lk 2:42–49) |
| 7th picture: Mary at the cross of Jesus | When the crucified Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved (John), he said to his mother: "Woman, look, your son!" Then he said to the disciple: "Look, your mother!" From the hour the disciple took them to himself. (Joh. 19,25-27) |
| 8th picture: Assumption of Mary into heaven. Feast day: August 15th |
Mary, the mother of our Lord, has been received body and soul into the glory of heaven. Pope Pius XII raised this knowledge to a belief, that is, to a dogma . In professing the bodily acceptance of Mary into heaven, we also profess our resurrection from the dead. The text of the dogma reads: “At the end of her earthly life, the Immaculate Mother of God and everlasting Virgin Mary was taken body and soul into heavenly glory. She, who once gave the risen Son human nature, should also participate in his resurrection. " |
See also
literature
- Welcome leaflet . Ebstorf Catholic Church, Visitation of the Virgin Mary, St. Mauritius. Ebstorf 2009.
- Willi Stoffers: Diocese of Hildesheim today. Hildesheim 1987, ISBN 3-87065-418-X , pp. 128-129.
Web links
- Church on the website of the joint community Bevensen-Ebstorf
- Information on the miraculous image on Ostrov's website (in German)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Welcome flyer of the Catholic Church Ebstorf from 2008
- ^ Community letter Ebstorf
- ↑ http://www.bevensen-ebstorf.de/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-4972/9651_read-42143/
- ↑ Tour of the church
- ↑ Parish Letter Issue 33 March - June 2015 pp. 10/11
- ↑ a b illustration in the church
Coordinates: 53 ° 1 ′ 44.1 ″ N , 10 ° 24 ′ 57.5 ″ E