BASILICA OF STS MARTIN AND OSWALD

WEINGARTEN

GERMANY

Former Benedictine monastery with a baroque parish church of St Martin and Oswald contains the relic of the Holy Blood of Christ.

"St Martin's charitable gesture flows from the same logic that drove Jesus to multiply the loaves for the hungry crowd, but most of all to leave himself to humanity as food in the Eucharist, supreme Sign of God's love, Sacramentum caritatis. It is the logic of sharing which he used to authentically explain love of neighbour.”

- Benedict XVI

It was already late, it was a winter afternoon and it was cloudy and almost dark. I do not have any nice photos, but I have a really vivid spiritual memory. The city space in front of the church was crowded with university students, but when I entered, there was no one inside. I happily sat and prayed in silence when a beautiful young girl came in and prayed as well. Initially, I thought she was muslim, but as she might have been of Palestinian or Syrian origin and as she was praying, I quickly understood she may perhaps be a Palestinian Christian. I was thinking who is she praying for, maybe some family members in the Holy Land? The other students had their peace and their families and their homes and studies, and therefore perhaps no need to pray? And then I thought of Our Lady - she must have been of the same age and probably looked very much like this girl when the angel visited her.

LINKS

Website (German): https://katholisch-weingarten.de/

Wikipedia (German): https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilika_St._Martin_(Weingarten)

GCatholic (English): https://gcatholic.org/churches/europe/0776.htm

VISITS

January 15, 2018