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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