The day of the “church rescuers” Josef Angelbauer and Andreas Lackermeier: Auxiliary Bishop Wolfgang Bischof even comes to the 300th anniversary of the consecration in the renovated Wamberger church.
Wamberg
- It is his love for cribs that paves the way for him to Wamberg. Auxiliary Bishop Wolfgang Bischof has always wanted to build a hostel out of wood with Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. So it happened that he took a crib building course at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen wood carving school. After his work is done, he would like to see the pilgrimage church of St. Anton in Partenkirchen. Josef Angelbauer is supposed to unlock him. However, the church caretaker uses the short drive with the bishop to “nudge” him on another gem, as the bishop says with a smile on Sunday. It is the Church of St. Anna in Wamberg that the bishop suddenly turns his attention to. The small church in a unique location, the renovation of which is supposed to take an arduous ten years. Angelbauer “warmed” the man from Munich, so to speak.
And so it came about that even the auxiliary bishop personally traveled to the mountain village on Sunday and celebrated the 300th anniversary of the consecration with around 400 visitors. In modern German one could speak of a "happy ending". Just in time for the big anniversary celebration, the church shines in new splendor (we reported). Years of anxiety about the future of the small church came to a happy end. Did Prince-Bishop Johann Franz Eckher von Kapfing and Liechteneck also come to Wamberg casually in September 1721, when the new church, which has given way to an old wooden chapel, was consecrated? One can only speculate about that, says Pastor Andreas Lackermeier. "We don't know anymore what was said either." The only thing that is certain isthat the then bishop previously blessed confirmers in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and then proclaimed the word of God in Wamberg - in September. Therefore, the actual celebration would have been planned only then. But almost in the same week the parish church Maria Himmelfahrt in Partenkirchen celebrates its 150th anniversary. So those responsible decided on July 25th.
+
Loves Wamberg: Auxiliary Bishop Wolfgang Bischof.
© Josef Hornsteiner
One of the first visits after Lackermeier took office in 2011 was here.
At that time still with the church caretaker Hans Rothmann and sacristan Hans Mühlbacher.
He was amazed.
But he is even more astonished now.
“Our local handicraft businesses have achieved great things.” As 300 years ago, it is thanks to the good support, the solidarity in the area and the commitment of all those involved that a baroque, sacred work of architecture is again standing at over 1000 meters above sea level.
“God knows how many people have worked to preserve the Anna Church in these three centuries,” says District Administrator Anton Speer.
Be it financially, through participation or prayer.
+
Over 400 visitors line the small church square in Wamberg.
The weather plays along: it stays dry until the last word.
© Josef Hornsteiner
But this time there was one person in particular who stood out next to Lackermeier and fought like a lion for the renovation after the shock news came in 2017 that the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising was not making any funds available for interior repairs: Josef Angelbauer.
“This is your day,” says Lackermeier in his direction.
“You never doubted the plan.
That gave me strength. ”Thunderous applause.
Well deserved.
Angelbauer was the head of the numerous supporters, motivated innumerable donations.
Petrus also apparently wanted to do the church caretaker good, the entire celebration was spared from the rain despite dark clouds - it only began to trickle a little during the speeches.
“You did that well,” the bishop says to Speer with a wink.
This was namely "today contractually responsible for the weather".
+
After its renovation, the small church of St. Anna shines festively again above the roofs of Wamberg.
© Josef Hornsteiner
After the ceremony, Angelbauer was visibly moved with a bunch of people - including Mayor Elisabeth Koch (CSU) and Former Mayor Sigrid Meierhofer, conducted the very first tour of the church through the renovated church.
The stories behind the ancient walls are fascinating.
A letter of indulgence from 1760 has been preserved, which made it from Venice to Wamberg.
Or a votive picture from 1782 showing a silver-plated nail.
A child is said to have swallowed it.
Thanks to the desperate calls from the mother to Saint Anne, it came out again - the little one was saved.
+
On this day, visitors can finally hear music again.
In addition, the Partenkirchen church choir sings.
© Josef Hornsteiner