St. Vitus, Catholic church in Bokeloh, Meppen, Germany
St. Vitus is a Catholic parish church on the bank of the Hase in Meppen's Bokeloh district, at Am Kirchberg 1. Its 1512 tower stands beside a nave with a Gothic-style vault rebuilt in the 1990s, and the eastern walls of the Romanesque church survive in fieldstone and bog iron, about 1.40 metres thick.
The original church was consecrated either in 948 by Bishop Dodo I of Osnabrück or before 996 by Bishop Dodo II; a wooden missionary church may have preceded it. In 1462 a Gothic 5/8 choir was added, and around 1500 the nave received a Gothic vault. The tower dates from 1512, but its spire collapsed in 1811 and destroyed the nave vault, which was replaced by a flat ceiling until the Gothic vault was rebuilt in the 1990s.
The church is dedicated to Saint Vitus, with Saint Catherine of Alexandria as co-patron; a Catherine epitaph from 1678 survives inside. A Vesperbild from the 17th century hangs on the outer wall of the choir, and a former sacrament house from 1462 is kept in the church. Since 1998 the parish has shared the building with the newer St. Ludger church.
The church is centrally located in Meppen and easily accessible on foot, with parking available nearby for those arriving by car. Access to the building is available during opening hours, though visitors should be respectful during active services.
The tower's spire collapsed in 1811 and destroyed the nave vault; the flat wooden ceiling installed as a replacement survived until the Gothic vault was rebuilt between 1991 and 1994. Three bells hang in the tower: a bronze ais' bell cast by Otto of Hemelingen in 1903 and steel fis' and gis' bells made by the Bochumer Verein in 1957.
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