St. Walburga Church Renovated
The
Borkener Zeitung, October 18, 2004
"Hasn't it gotten
beautiful?"
Celebration Service in St. Walburga Parish Church
Well Attended
Ramsdorf
(rpl). "Hasn't it gotten beautiful?" Joy over
the successful renovation showed on Reverend Karl Terhorst's face.
And hardly anyone in the packed St. Walburga church would have
disagreed with the reverend's enthusiasm over the successful beautification
of the church building.
Photo caption: The newly renovated St. Walburga
parish church was filled on Saturday for a solemn celebration
service. Click image to enlarge
With a solemn celebration service on Saturday evening,
that many Ramsdorf associations' banner delegations participated
in, the community celebrated the reopening of its parish church.
"When I was introduced as the new minister of St. Walburga
three years ago, I suggested that a new coat of paint was needed,"
remembered Karl Terhorst in his sermon. Earlier he had referred
with pride to the details of the reconditioned church well
illuminated by the newly installed lighting system of the renovated
church.
The priest, together with pastoral consultant Werner
Menke, led the believers from the baptism chapel, whose baptism
font was restored from Bentheimer sandstone, over the altar area
with its impressively displayed cross, up to the elaborate dome
with gold leaf adornments. At the same time Terhorst also remarked,
however, that with all art-historical meanings of the innumerable
architectural treasures of the building the church must
above all be a spiritually alive place that makes faith and religion
navigable. "The beauty of a church lies not so much in its
architecture, but in that it harbors God," stated reverend
Chiara Lubich. That not only the minister, but also the church
board, parish council and the entire community were pleased with
the successful adornment of their prized place of worship was
also evident in the reception of Ursula Bröker from the parish
council who many guests welcomed in the parsonage following the
service.
Here Karl Terhorst also lauded the collaboration
of the churches with the municipal community: For the duration
of the renovation of almost three months, the community made the
Ramsdorf Burg [castle] available without restriction to the members
of St. Walburga for its religious services. Mayor Ralf Groß-Holtick
praised the successful renovation, which now also betterfacilitates
concert performances. According to the mayor, in 2005 "Mathew's
Passion" is already planned in the church. Incidentally,
on Saturday evening the inhabitants of the St. Walburga home for
the elderly experienced a special premier: over a newly installed
television communication system seniors could follow the first
service in the renovated church on TVs in their rooms.
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