St. Stephanus (Beckum)

Beckum (St. Stephanus), view from the southwest

Beckum (St. Stephanus), interior view

The church of St. Stephanus in Beckum is documented in earlier church buildings as early as 785. In 1267 the parish church received a collegiate monastery , which was abolished in the course of secularization in 1811. Since then it has been a pure parish church again. In addition, it was raised to the rank of provost church in 1967 by Joseph Höffner , the then Bishop of Münster .

The collegiate monastery was the first to be established outside of the episcopal city of Münster (after St. Mauritz , Alter Dom , St. Ludgeri and St. Martini ); later the other foundings in Dülmen (1323), Horstmar (1325) and Borken (1433) followed.

Early building history

Archaeological excavations in 1964 showed that a total of three previous buildings preceded the current church building. According to the finds (some shards, remains of stake clay and a small, iron arrowhead), a small settlement already existed in the 8th century, in the middle of which a first hall church with a flat round choir apse was built with the outcome of the Saxon Wars around 785 . From then on, the Christian dead were buried around this church and no longer on the pagan burial site southwest of the settlement. In 10./11. In the 19th century, a second hall church with a semicircular choir apse followed, about a wall width larger than the first building. It is possible that the second hall church was later rebuilt and renewed with reinforced foundations. It burned down in the 12th century and was replaced by a new building, presumably with three naves. This third building also includes the lower part of the still existing, massive church tower from the 13th century, which is now included in the interior of the church.

history

The oldest written mention to date can only be made for the year 1134: parrochia Bikeheim .

Founding of the foundation / constitution

In 1267 the vicar Heinrich von Meppen sold their father's goods in and near Osnabrück with his mother and three brothers. The endowment for a collegiate chapter in Beckum was won from the proceeds, which was approved by Bishop Gerhard on December 10, 1267 . Heinrich, his two brothers and a nephew received prebends ; the mother enjoyed the income of the fifth prebend, the latter with a freely chosen location. The previous vicarius perpetuus became the dean , the previous rector ecclesiae the provost . This office was always held by a Münster canon , who at the same time possessed the episcopal chaplaincy and the archdeaconate at Beckum.

The deans and canons, who were initially mainly knightly and later increasingly bourgeois, donated several new preambles and vicarages in the centuries that followed.

Under the influence of the Lutheran Reformation, which strongly affected the bourgeoisie in Beckum, the deanery has not been occupied for more than 60 years since 1554. The then dean Frederich Meinerdes obtained a prebend at St. Cassius in Bonn in 1540 and has resided there ever since. As a result, there had been no dean in Beckum since 1540 and the management of the monastery was passed on to the "senior", the oldest member of the monastery in terms of membership. After the death of Frederich Meinerdes in 1554, there was no more replacement in Beckum. The dean, appointed by the Archbishop of Cologne as administrator of the Duchy of Münster since 1618, tried, partly against the fierce opposition of the chapter, to renew the Catholic church system. On the other hand, it was not possible to supplement the overall very meager income. The number of canonicals was reduced to seven in 1635 and finally went back to four resident canons.

Vicarages

To support the service and for the salvation of one's own soul, the foundation of vicarages used . Individual founding families provided the appropriate financial resources for the permanent care of a cleric, who then gave the spiritual masses to be held according to the foundation charter . Beckum this development took off in 1316 with the establishment of the altar of St. George a. St. Catharinæ followed in 1321, the Vicarie BMV in 1326 and Ss in 1354. Fabiani and Sebastiani . Only later followed in 1494 St. Annæ primæ and 1495 St. Annæ secundæ ; the conclusion took place in 1522 with the Vicarie St. Quirini .

Repeal

After Canon Topp's death in 1804, his canon was not reoccupied. Canon Grauer and Schwane were listed as non-resident. Only dean Callenberg and three other canons remained, who before the secularization essentially considered how an orderly spiritual care could be guaranteed for the parish associated with the monastery. In the time of the grand ducal Bergisch era, the administration of the monastery was transferred to the previous monastery secretary Franz Wilhelm Mues on August 18, 1810. Due to the decree (Arrêté) of the Bergisches Finance Ministry of June 22, 1811, the archive was sealed on July 8, 1811, thus revoking the pen.

Provost church

On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the foundation of the monastery, the church was raised to the status of provost church in 1967. The hitherto performed by the pastor Title parish dean has not been canceled, but changed to provost .

Furnishing

Views

View of the interior
Confessional , left: Stations of the Cross, 12th Station, right: Stations of the Cross, 13th Station
Stations of the Cross, 14th station, Mary portal, figure of the apostle , sacristy door , "Baptism of Jesus", sideboard , statue of Mary
Look into the choir
View of the altar and the choir
Sacrament chapel

Works of art

The gold shrine from around 1230 can claim to be the most important work of art in this church. In terms of quality and size, it is even the most outstanding Romanesque gold shrine in Westphalia. Originally it was created as a reliquary of the Beckum church patrons Stephanus and Sebastian as well as the martyr pope Fabian . But it has only been called the Prudentia Shrine since 1878 . Bishop Johann Bernhard Brinkmann had relics of St. Prudentia, which were transferred to the shrine in 1881.

Baptismal font and tabernacle
Epitaph (1518) of the Kothe family
Baptism of Jesus, Pieter de Grebber (1625)
Apostle figure Peter
Apostle figure Paul

organ

Organ brochure from 1721

The organ , built by Johannes Klais (Bonn) in 1913 , is the largest surviving late-romantic organ in Westphalia and has some special features, such as: B. the original pneumatic action mechanism , some high pressure registers and a separate swell mechanism for the register Vox Humana . The instrument was restored by Gebr. Stockmann (Werl) in 1983/84 . Another renovation and restoration by the Klais company followed in 2011. On April 7th, 2013 the consecration of the restored organ by the auxiliary bishop of Münster took place in the course of a solemn Vespers. Friedrich Ostermann instead.

I Hauptwerk C – g ³
1.	Violon Principal	16 ′
2.	Drone	16 ′
3.	Principal	8th'
4th	Fugara	8th'
5.	Reed flute	8th'
6th	Harmony flute	8th'
7th	Salicional	8th'
8th.	Octave	4 ′
9.	Horn flute	4 ′
10.	Octave	2 ′
11.	Intoxicating fifth II	2 ² ⁄ ₃  ′
12.	Mixture V	2 ² ⁄ ₃  ′
13.	Cornett III-V	2 ² ⁄ ₃  ′
14th	Trumpet	16 ′
15th	Trumpet harm.	8th'
16.	Clairon	4 ′

II Swell C – g ³
17th	Darling Dumped	16 ′
18th	Violin principal	8th'
19th	Bordunal flute	8th'
20th	Quintatön	8th'
21st	viola	8th'
22nd	Aeoline trem.	8th'
23.	Vox coelestis	8th'
24.	Prefix	4 ′
25th	Flauto dolce	4 ′
26th	Cremona	4 ′
27.	Flautino	2 ′
28.	Sesquialter II	2 ² ⁄ ₃  ′
29	Cymbel III	2 '
30th	Harm. Aethera IV	4 '
31.	bassoon	16 ′
32.	oboe	8th'
33.	Schalmey	4 ′
	Tremulant
	High pressure register
34.	Solo flute	8th'
35.	violin	8th'
36.	Tuba mirabilis	8th'
	Tremulant

III threshold positive C-g ³
37.	Night horn	16 ′
38.	Principal	8th'
39.	Gamba	8th'
40.	Dumped	8th'
41.	Concert flute	8th'
42.	Dolce	8th'
43.	Unda maris	8th'
44.	Minor principal	4 ′
45.	Flauto traverso	4 ′
46.	Fifth flute	2 ² ⁄ ₃  ′
47.	Octavine	2 ′
48.	Mixture Cornett IV	2 ² ⁄ ₃  ′
49.	Vox humana	8th'
	Tremulant (No. 40, 49)

Pedal C – f ¹
50.	Contrabass	16 ′
51.	Violon	16 ′
52.	Sub bass	16 ′
53.	Echo bass	16 ′
54.	Quintbass	10 ² ⁄ ₃  ′
55.	Flute bass	8th'
56.	violoncello	8th'
57.	Bass octave	4 ′
58.	Bombard	32 ′
59.	trombone	16 ′
60.	Baryton	8th'

In addition to the usual couplers, the instrument has sub -octave couplings and super -octave couplings that can be expanded up to g ⁴ .

In addition to the daily masses, the organ can also be heard in concert evenings.

Bells

There are always four bells for the Church of St. Stephen . In 1705 the Stephen and Sebastian bell were re-cast. In 1717 three new bells were cast ( Donatus , Stephanus and Sebastian as well as Michael ) after the old ones had cracked "by ringing excessively" (including those from 1705). Two of the bells cast by Bernhard Wilhelm Stule in 1717, the Donatus bell with the strike tone d ¹ (1330 kg) and the Michael bell with the strike tone a ¹ (880 kg) were melted down during the First and Second World Wars. In 1952 these two bells were replaced by two new bells ( Christ the King and Prudentia ). On Pentecost Sunday, May 31, 1952, the full four-part bell rang out again for the first time.

Marien bell from 1647
Christ the King bell
Stephen and Sebastian bell
Prudentia bell

In 2008 the peal was extended by six bells. On September 5, 2008, five were cast in Gescher at Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock and consecrated on October 13 by the auxiliary bishop and diocesan administrator Franz-Josef Overbeck . All steel yokes and the entire steel bell cage were exchanged for wooden yokes and wooden cloaks in October / November 2008 and new clappers were installed. It was rounded off by the casting of the Bernhard bell on December 5, 2008. On December 24, 2008, the ringing could be heard in full for the first time. The patronage of the new bells has historical references.

In 2009 two new clock chimes were purchased. They are attached outside in a dormer on the tower. On December 18, 2013, another five new bells were poured and consecrated by Auxiliary Bishop Wilfried Theising on March 16, 2014 . Two are used as chime bells and three as play bells. They were played with seven bells of the existing chimes as a twelve-part glockenspiel (g ¹ –a ¹ –h ¹ –c ² –d ² –e ² –f ² –fis ² –g ² –a ² –h ² –c ³ ) on 15 August 2014 (Feast of the Assumption ) put into operation.

No.	Surname	Casting year	Foundry, casting location	Mass (in kg)	Diameter (in mm)	Nominal (16th note)	Remarks
1	Maria	1647	Antonius Paris	1730	1442	c ¹ −1
2	Christ the King	1952	Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock, Gescher	1450	1326	d ¹ +1
3	Stephanus and Sebastian	1717	Bernhard Wilhelm Stule	1090	1210	e ¹ +3
4th	Prudentia	1952	Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock, Gescher	640	1013	g ¹ +1
5	Catharina	2008	Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock, Gescher	466	903	a ¹ +1	Patronage refers to the 1321 took place Foundation of St. Vikarie Catharinæ.
6th	Anna			335	809	h ¹ +2	Patronage refers to the foundations of the two Annen Vicariates in 1494 and 1495.
7th	Maria Blumenthal			275	756	c ² +2	Patronage reminds of the former Blumenthal monastery in Beckum. The nominal (c ² ) is exactly one octave higher than that of its big sister, the Marienglocke (No. 1) from 1647 (c ¹ ).
8th	Michael			219	693	d ² +1	The patronage commemorates the lost predecessor from 1717. The old inscription has been reused with a minor update.
9	Martin			148	616	e ² +1	Patronage refers to the Martinspatronium of the former Great Spirit Hospital, founded in 1316, which gave the name to the Beckum parish of St. Martin, which existed until December 2007 .
10	Bernhard			79	500	g ² +3
11	George	2013	Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock, Gescher	60	430	a ² +2	Patronage refers to the foundation of the Vicarie St. Georgii in 1316.
12	Maria Consolatrix	2013	Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock, Gescher	36	360	c ³ +2
A.	Clara	2013	Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock, Gescher	100	550	f ² +2	Play bell ; Patronage refers to the former St. Clara Chapel, which later became the Clara children's home
B.	Elisabeth			82	520	f sharp ² +2	Play bell; Patronage refers to the St. Elisabeth Hospital in Beckum
C.	Mary of good advice			43	415	h ² +2	Play bell

No.	Surname	Casting year	Foundry , casting location	Mass (in kg)	Diameter (in mm)	Nominal (16th note)	Remarks
I.	Liudger	2009	Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock, Gescher	91	541	f ² +2	Clock strike bell
II	Carolus Magnus	2009	Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock, Gescher	53	445	a ² +2	Clock strike bell

With the (extended) chime, numerous chime motifs can be heard, sometimes in different pitches. With three bells, for example, the Pater Noster motif (e.g. c ¹ –d ¹ –e ¹ ), the Te Deum motif (e.g. e ¹ –g ¹ –a ¹ ), the Gloria Ring motif (g ¹ –a ¹ –c ² ) and the Resurrexi motif (a ¹ –h ¹ –c ² ). With four bells, for example, the ideal quartet (e ¹ –g ¹ –a ¹ –c ² ), the Westminster motif (d ¹ –g ¹ –a ¹ –h ¹ ) and the Salve Regina motif (c ¹ –e ¹ –g ¹ –a ¹ ), the ideal sextet with six bells (e ¹ –g ¹ –a ¹ –c ² –d ² –e ² ).

Clergy

Vicarius perpetuus

dominus Hinricus perpetuus vicarius de Bekehem, 1251

Dean (1267–1811)

Heinrich von Meppen, 1267/1292
Theodor Sasse, 1311-1317
Adam von Roderikessen, (1316?) 1317–1331
Volmar Pekenacke, 1342/1347
Lambert von Velmede, 1352/1362
Johannes von Brakel, 1381–1403
Lubbert Mensinch, 1404-1419
Lambert Dünninghaus the Elder Ä., 1419-1427
Gottfried Keyser (Caesar), 1428-1450
Herman Petershagen, 1451, 1452
Herman Lanckhals, 1456
Lambert Dünninghaus the Elder J., 1459-1486
Herman Halfwassen, 1486-1515
Johannes Snyder, 1516-1527
Frederich Meinerdes, 1534–1554

(Vacancy 1554–1618): During the vacancy, the respective senior was in charge of the monastery. The following can be proven as senior citizens: Henrich Holle 1534, 1537, 1554; Johannes Lemgo 1559 (†); Herman Schotteler 1572–1589; Albert Winckell 1603, 1604; Henrich Ossenbeck 1606-1622

Otto Storp, 1618-1621
Bernhard Rieping, 1621–1655
Johannes Schreiber (Scriver), 1655–1679
Christian Henrich (from) Bohne, 1679–1706

(Vacancy 1706–1714): During the vacancy, the respective senior was in charge of the monastery. Senior at the time is: Joachim Wilhelm Koerding

Johannes Adrian Buschman, 1714-1722
Caspar Johannes Franz Callenberg, 1722–1727
Caspar Ludolph Callenberg, 1728-1740
Johannes Christoph Callenberg, 1741–1757 (1761)
Johannes Adolph Callenberg, 1762-1811

Parish deacons since 1814, provosts since 1967

Johann Victor Hagemann, 1814–1847
Joseph Felgemacher, 1848–1875
Hermann Joseph Anton Lehmkuhl, 1875–1892
Wilhelm Ekel, 1892–1910
Heinrich Schepers, 1911–1946
Hermann Stamm Schroer , 1946-1950
Heinrich Oenning , 1951–1975 (provost since 1967)
Robert Holtstiege, 1975-2002
Johannes Mecking, 2003–2012
Rainer B. Irmgedruth, 2012–

Personalities associated with the Church

Wilhelm Emmanuel von Ketteler (1811–1877), 1844–1846 chaplain , later “social bishop”, 1850–1877 bishop of Mainz and German politician ( Center Party ). In 1848 he founded the St. Elisabeth Hospital on site.
Johann Bernhard Brinkmann (1813–1889), 1844–1846 chaplain, from 1870 to 1889 Bishop of Münster
Max Georg Freiherr von Twickel (1926–2013), 1953–1959 chaplain, official (since 1970) and auxiliary bishop (1973–2001) in Vechta
Dr. Reinhard Lettmann (1933–2013), 1959 chaplain, auxiliary bishop since 1973, from 1980 to 2008 bishop of Münster
Wilfried Theising (* 1962), 1989–1993 chaplain, auxiliary bishop of the Münster diocese since 2010

Individual evidence

↑ Osnabrück Document Book I 255.
↑ Westfälisches Urkundenbuch 3, 798; Landesarchiv Münster, Collegiate Foundation Beckum, document 2.
↑ Information about the organ on the website of the builder company.
↑ Jörg Wunschhofer: You were spared the “ bell cemetery ”. The Stephanus and Sebastian bell is the second oldest in the bell of the Beckum Propsteikirche St. Stephanus. In: Kirche + Leben , June 11, 2017, p. 15.
↑ Beckum, St. Stephanus: Altes Plenum (recording from June 24, 2007, 10:45 am): Ringing in for the Solemnity of John the Baptist (14:56 min) on YouTube .
^ Report of the WDR on bell casting from September 5, 2008 ( depublished ).
^ Report of the WDR on the introduction of the new bells in the tower of October 20, 2008 ( depublished ).
↑ Heike Hänscheid: St. Stephen's Church in Beckum has received five new bells - proclaiming God's presence in the world , Church + Life , October 27, 2008.
↑ Beckum, St. Stephanus: New full bells (recording from January 6, 2009, 7:45 am): Ringing in to Hl. Three Kings / Appearance of the Lord (5:00 min) on YouTube .
↑ Beckum, St. Stephanus: Glockenspiel (recording from August 16, 2014, 11:45 am) on YouTube .

literature

Agnes Plettenberg: Contributions to the history of the Collegiate Foundation SS. Stephani et Sebastiani zu Beckum (diss.), Beckum 1936.
Friedrich Helmert (ed.): Sankt-Stephanus-Beckum. Pen and church . Festschrift to commemorate the foundation of the Kollegiatstift seven centuries ago (sources and research on the history of the Beckum district, volume 1), Beckum 1967.
Westfälisches Klosterbuch , Volume 1, pp. 51–54.
Martin Gesing: Propsteikirche St. Stephanus and Sebastian Beckum , 1st edition, Kunstverlag Josef Fink, Lindenberg 1997, 32 pages, ISBN 3-931820-36-X .
Martin Gesing: The shrine of St. Prudentia in the Propsteikirche zu Beckum , Beckum 2007, 109 p., Numerous. Ill., ISBN 978-3-9811741-0-6 . ( Westphalia regional: The Beckum Prudentia Shrine )
750 years collegiate Beckum 1267-2017 (sources and research on the history of the Warendorf, Volume 57), Warendorf 2017, ISBN 978-3-920836-90-4 .