As of: March 24, 2024, 7:00 a.m
By: Franziska Konrad
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Outside hui...: The consequences of a lightning strike can only be felt inside the branch church of St. Georg in the Feldkirchen district of Eglingen.
There has been no electricity there since last May.
© Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss
For almost a year there has been no organ playing, bell ringing, lights or microphone in the St. Georg branch church.
The trigger was a lightning strike.
The former Eglingen pastor Manfred Wurzer explains things.
Egling - A festive service without organ playing, bell ringing, lights and microphones: What sounds hard to imagine at first has been a reality in the branch church of St. Georg in the Feldkirchen district of Egling for almost a year.
The trigger was a lightning strike in May 2023. Manfred Wurzer, now head of the Gaißach-Reichersbeuern parish association and the Sachsenkam parish, was working as a pastor in Egling at the time.
He also held regular church services in St. Georg, which from then on were significantly different than usual.
Church in Feldkirchen has been without power for almost a year - the trigger was a lightning strike
“Lightning struck the power distribution box.
It spread through the cables to all electronic systems, which burned to death,” remembers the Tölz native.
From this point on there was no light, organ music or bell ringing in the branch church.
“It’s all done electronically,” explains Wurzer.
The priest's microphone was also affected.
“It took a strong voice to fill the church with sound,” says the clergyman with a wink.
Manfred Wurzer, former pastor in the Egling parish association.
© Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss
Particularly annoying: Shortly before the incident, a citizen gave the church a high-quality sound system.
The facility also fell victim to a lightning strike.
“It was a great device,” Wurzer regrets.
It was used, among other things, at funerals.
If the church was full, the mourners could listen to the service in front of the building and pay their last respects to the deceased.
It took a strong voice to fill the church with sound.
Pastor Manfred Wurzer about his services in a church without electricity.
Instead of moping, Manfred Wurzer now had to get creative: “Fortunately, there are very good musicians in the community.” As an alternative to the organ, the pastor organized a zither player, for example.
“The rest was just a cappella,” he adds and laughs.
The lack of light was more difficult to solve: “At the time of the lightning strike, this wasn’t a big problem, as it was light for a long time.”
Church in Egling without electricity: The former pastor shows creativity - a ray of hope during the Christmas season
Some of the mass took place outside.
Things looked different in the dark season: evening services in a gloomy church without functioning outside lighting?
“That doesn’t work,” admits Wurzer.
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There was a small ray of hope at Christmas time: the Advent mass is traditionally held by candlelight and could therefore take place as usual.
Apart from that, the Feldkirchners had no choice but to go to the service in Thanning.
“Under these circumstances, people showed understanding,” emphasizes Wurzer.
There is a cemetery around the church: there were initially no funerals.
“That would have been extremely difficult.”
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The clergyman is not surprised that there is still no electricity in St. Georg and that the renovation work is taking a long time.
“There are a few questions that need to be clarified here, including between the insurance company and the electricity supplier.
“It’s quite complicated.” Many of the pipes in the building are hidden under plaster, “that’s why the monument protection department also has a say.”
St. George's Church without electricity: Electrics should be replaced in late summer
Only once everything has been clarified from an insurance perspective does it make sense to deal with the repairs.
Manfred Wurzer: “As a pastor, I can’t just clap my hands and say: Well, everything will be repaired now.”
The Archbishop Ordinariate of Munich also commented on the incident when asked by our newspaper.
“We have now received notice from the insurance company so that repair work can begin,” it said in a written statement.
“As soon as the electrical system has been replaced – probably in late summer of this year – it will also be possible to determine whether the devices in the church are still functional.”
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