Church of St. Lawrence, Gothic church in downtown St. Gallen, Switzerland

The Church of St. Lawrence is a Gothic place of worship in downtown St. Gallen, distinguished by pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and external supporting buttresses. The interior features stained glass windows, altars, and sculptures that define the character of this religious building.

The first predecessor building dates to the mid-12th century; the oldest surviving documentary mention is a 1225 document, and by 1235 St. Laurenzen held parish status under the princely abbey. On 10 December 1359 the parish church with its chaplaincies and revenues was incorporated into the abbey. A 1413 agreement began transferring church governance to the city council, confirmed in the 1509 Treaty of Bischofszell.

The church is dedicated to Saint Lawrence of Rome, and its name is still used for the parish. Since the Reformation it has been the main Reformed church of the city, and it remains the assembly room of the local citizens (Ortsbürger). In 1995 the newly consecrated bishop Ivo Fürer moved into St. Laurenzen because the cathedral was too small for the ceremony.

St. Laurenzen stands on the Marktgasse, a few steps from the Marktplatz and roughly 300 metres from the abbey precinct; the Scheidemauer and Karlstor of 1566 that once separated the reformed city from the prince-abbey's territory are nearby. The church is still the assembly room of the local citizens (Ortsbürger), so it hosts civic meetings as well as Sunday services; check the parish notice board before pushing the door.

On 5 June 1995 the newly consecrated bishop Ivo Fürer moved into St. Laurenzen for his investiture, because the cathedral lacked space; the Reformed parish had offered the church to highlight ecumenism. His successor Markus Büchel was consecrated here in 2006 and thanked the parish by offering them the cathedral in return.