St. Christophorus, Catholic church in Werne, Germany.
St. Christophorus in Werne is a Catholic church with notable architectural features spanning different eras. An octagonal baptismal font with reliefs marks the interior, while large windows in the choir area rank among the biggest in Westphalia.
The parish began in the 11th century and fell under Cappenberg monastery from 1139 to 1803. Major renovations around 1450 shaped the building into its current form.
The parish is dedicated to Saint Christopher, a saint also tied to Werne itself: a hospital and a gymnasium bear his name, and his figure appears in the town coat of arms on the old town hall. Inside stands an over-life-size limewood statue of the saint, carved around 1840 by the Münster sculptor Johann Adam Ney.
The church was restored between 1995 and 1998, and the Seifert organ was returned to its 1918 tonal state in 1995–1997. The tower's eight bells hang together only since 2021; the oldest, the Katharinenglocke, was cast in 1423 by Franz and Hans Haller. Look for the organ's 55 stops across three manuals and pedal.
During the 1995 renovation, excavations inside the church uncovered a priest's grave and a chasuble about 200 years older than the burial. After a two-year restoration, the vestment went on display in a dedicated room at the nearby Karl-Pollender-Stadtmuseum.
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