As of: February 5, 2024, 12:20 p.m
By: Andrea Kästle
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The church of St. Benedict, which was in need of renovation, was profaned, its further use is uncertain, and demolition is also possible.
© Andrea Kästle
After the profanation of St. Benedict, the parish association is wrestling with the future of the church in Ebenhausen.
But the commitment is cautious.
Baierbrunn/Schäftlarn
– There have been no sermons in St. Benedikt, the Catholic church in Ebenhausen with the characteristic pointed church tower, for a good four weeks now.
The church, once designed for a growing district that then remained smaller than expected, is the first church in the diocese to be profaned, at the end of 2023. Now churchgoers, citizens and representatives of the ordinariate came together for the first time at a meeting of the parish association council, to consider how things could proceed.
Citizens speak of a loss of trust
The topic of the evening was not at all what could be built in place of the church if it were torn down.
The comments from around 100 visitors consisted of complaining that they had not been included in the decision.
“Trust was lost, the process was unspeakable,” said one woman.
St. Benedict is the only barrier-free church in the parish.
“The original purpose of the church is pastoral care, we are not a real estate company”: Diocesan master builder Marinus Kohlhauf in Baierbrunn (l.) next to church caretaker Karl Egner.
© Andrea Kästle
Congregation would rent church space
Because neither the parish nor the ordinariate can hold the church, it was then considered to look for sponsors who would be willing to raise the three million that the renovation of St. Benedict would cost at least.
The acoustics were praised several times and it was said that the church was suitable as a “concert, meeting and theater room”.
Mayor Christian Fürst (CSU) had made it clear: “We are not putting a cent into the building,” but the community was interested in renting the renovated church space.
Working group to collect ideas
Ultimately, it was agreed to collect ideas for future use and how to get the necessary change until Ascension Day.
Marcel Tonnar, Second Mayor of Schäftlarn (Greens), will coordinate this.
When Valerie Dohna from the Baierbrunn parish council asked who else among those present was willing to get involved in a working group that was to be founded on the future of St. Benedict, no one answered.
The visitors said on the one hand that time was needed now, but on the other hand they warned: “We don’t want any ruins in town.” At some point, moderator Stephan Hubl stated: “You can see that the topic is complex.”
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Representatives of the Ordinariate admit errors
Meanwhile, the representatives of the Ordinariate, Jan Schumann and Marinus Kohlhauf, were quite prepared to admit mistakes.
Schumann, head of the spatial analysis department, said: "It's the first case for us, we have no idea how profanation works."
At the beginning of the evening, Marinus Kohlhauf, head of the construction department, explained in detail why it was impossible for the Ordinariate to save the church.
The diocese has 33 million euros available each year from church tax revenue to maintain 3,500 churches and chapels in 740 parishes.
“The money is gone immediately.” Schäftlarn is already privileged with four other churches in the municipality.
Karl Egner, church caretaker in Ebenhausen, said on behalf of the parish association: “A lot has gone wrong, but now we have the opportunity to do something else.” Anyone who has a “viable concept” should present it.
Visitors leave early, priest is annoyed
Then the agenda item was ended after two hours.
The next topic was how to bring life back into the parish association.
Some of the visitors got up and left, Pastor Stefan Scheifele said slightly angrily: “The church needs people.
And no concert hall.”