St. Norbert (Werl)
The Catholic parish church of St. Norbert is a church building in Werl , in the Soest district ( North Rhine-Westphalia ).
History and architecture
From 1200 to 1803 Premonstratensian monks from the Wedinghausen monastery in Arnsberg, who were popularly known as Norbertines , worked in Werl as pastors. They lived in what is now the provost's office. A Premonstratensian, Bernhard Tütel, was a pioneer in Werl for the preservation of the Catholic faith. His grave is preserved in the provost church in Werl. Because of the work of the Norbertines , the church in the north of the city was called St. Norbert.
The Propsteigemeinde provided a piece of land on which the rectory with a community hall was built in 1955. In this parish hall, on April 15, 1956, a service was celebrated for the first time. With effect from July 1, 1956, the congregation received the status of a parish vicarie and the previous vicar of St. Walburga, Georg Wagner, became parish vicar . The congregation had about 900 members at the time. The parish boundaries were redefined by the diocese in 1957, so that the number of members rose to around 1,500. In the same year Vicar Wagner was replaced by Heribert Hunold, who devoted himself to the construction to a large extent. The construction of a new church was planned, the parish hall had become too small. On November 12, 1958, the site where the future high altar was to stand was blessed. Werl was a garrison town at the time, and the pioneers of the Canadian Army of Occupation, whose housing area was right across from the church, made themselves available free of charge for bulldozing, dredging and excavation work. During the Michaelmas week on September 25, 1960, the only Premonstratensian abbot who lived in the Federal Republic, Petrus Möhler, consecrated the foundation stone. On October 29, 1962, Auxiliary Bishop Franz Nordhues consecrated the church. During the consecration, a squadron of the Belgian army flew over the building several times and threw thousands of autumn flowers as a greeting to the many Belgian families living in the community.
The church fits harmoniously into the townscape, it combines traditional architecture with the modern, sensible and functional. The expressive glass windows were made to designs by the Werler glass artist Christian Göbel. Joseph Wäscher , a Werler sculptor who ran his workshop right across from the church, created, among other things, the St. Norbert figure in front of the rectory, the communion benches, the baptismal font, the bronze church doors and the door handles in the form of fish.
During a renovation in 1983 the chancel was redesigned. It should develop better and more meaningfully in the spirit of the liturgy. The sacrament house now forms the center of the church.
Side chapel
The side chapel contains the simple side altar on which the tabernacle stands, benches for church visitors and the simple confessional. The side door is the entrance to the sacristy with storage space for the vestments and dressing options for the celebrating priests. The church safe and the controls for the electrical bell system are installed here. A door leads to a sacristy for the altar boys.
Relics
Abbot Josef Möhler celebrated a pontifical office during a visit to Werl. He promised the new parish vicar Alois Bölte, Hunold had entered a Trappist order, to procure relics of St. Norbert for the high altar. On June 5, 1963, the relics were given to the Church in a shrine bearing the motto Ready for any good cause . The reliquary is exhibited in a niche in the celebration altar. The parish vicarie was elevated to a parish on May 1, 1966. Bölte died in 1991 and was succeeded by Klaus Bühnen.
Furnishing
Bells
Three bells, cast in 1961, hang in the tower, the smallest bears the name of St. Norbert and the inscription Saint Norbert, pray for us , the second bears the inscription Queen of Heaven, stand up for our peace , the largest is the Christ bell with the inscription May all be one in Christ . The bells ring in e'-g'-a '.
organ
The organ was built at Easter 1969, until then a harmonium from the old parish hall was in service. The instrument has 22 registers and 1721 pipes. Its baroque shape enlivens the strict shape of the modern church.
Idol
The St. Norbert Church in Werl is the architectural model for the Holy Cross Church in Belecke .
Web link
literature
- Amalie Rohrer / Hans Jürgen Zacher (ed.): Werl history of a Westphalian city Volume 2 , Bonifatius Druck Buch Verlag 1994, ISBN 3-87088-844-X .
Coordinates: 51 ° 33 ′ 4.1 ″ N , 7 ° 54 ′ 3.7 ″ E