Sankt Ansgar Kirche

St. Ansgar Church was consecrated on August 3, 1963, by Bishop Heinrich Maria Janssen of Hildesheim. The cornerstone was laid a year earlier on September 29, 1962. The architect of the church was Dieter Philipp from Braunschweig.

The church building resembles the local structures for the Heidschnucken, the sheep barn. Very sturdy supports were required for the height of 15 m - the heavy steel beams are quite impressive.

The church was financed by the Diocese of Hildesheim, the Bonifatius Association, and the church building association of the then Catholic parish of Schneverdingen.

St. Ansgar was chosen as the patron saint of the church: The Benedictine monk, revered as the "Apostle of the North" (born 801), built the first Christian church in Scandinavia in 829.

In 831, he was entrusted with the leadership of the newly founded Archdiocese of Hamburg. He established a school and a monastery in Hamburg and had the three-nave wooden Mary Church constructed.

After Hamburg was plundered by the Vikings, Ansgar was appointed Bishop of Bremen. In 851, he resumed missionary work in Sweden and directed the missionary efforts in the North from Bremen. He founded three monasteries and completed a stone church in Bremen. There he died on February 3, 865. Thus, the patronal feast of St. Ansgar Church is celebrated each year on the Saturday following February 3.

The Altar Mosaic

In keeping with the exterior of the building in the shape of a sheep barn, the eastern gable wall is adorned with a large mosaic: Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

This sight invites one to reflect on Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…..

The altar painting and the stained glass windows described below were designed by Sister Ehrentrud Trost from the Benedictine Abbey in Varensell near Gütersloh. Both the mosaic and the stained glass wall were crafted at the glass painting and mosaic workshop C. Bernhard in Telgte.

The Stained Glass Windows  

Colorful and bright, the stained glass windows cast colorful light reflections in the church space.

Please do not look for encrypted images in the windows - it is purely an enjoyment of forms and colors that delights the heart, especially in sunshine. 

The Altar    

The altar is the place of the Eucharistic celebration (Communion, Last Supper). Here, the transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ takes place.

The altar was made of dark marble. During the consecration by Bishop Heinrich Maria Janssen, relics of the martyrs Justin and Virginia were interred, and the altar was anointed with chrism oil.

The Baptismal Font

The baptismal font is also made of dark marble. The basin is covered by a bronze lid.

This was created by the Cologne sculptor Toni Zenz and depicts Jesus being baptized by John in the Jordan.

The Organ

The organ was ceremonially inaugurated on December 13, 1969, by Domkapitular Dean Herbert Höbbel from Celle.

The instrument was built by the company Alfred Führer in Wilhelmshaven.  The stops of the organ are distributed across the great organ (1st manual, 8 registers), a swell organ (2nd manual, 7 registers), and pedal (6 registers).

The importance of the organ as a traditional musical instrument is particularly emphasized in the Second Vatican Council: “Its sound wonderfully enhances the splendor of liturgical ceremonies and raises the hearts of the faithful powerfully to God and to heaven.”

The Bell Tower

The bell tower has the same shape as the church. The three bronze bells were cast in December 1999 at the Bachert company in Heilbronn. They bear the names Maria (500 kg, note A), Hariet Christina (343 kg, note C) and Ansgar (252 kg, note D). The bell tower was financed by the generous donation of a parish member.