St. Mary's Church, Lutheran church in Himmelpforten, Germany

St. Mary's Church is a brick building in Himmelpforten measuring approximately 23 meters long and 12 meters wide, with smaller windows than the previous structure that stood on the site. The church forms part of the former convent complex and reflects the architectural style of the early 18th century.

The present building was completed in 1738 and replaced the deteriorating abbey church of Himmelpforten Convent, which was largely demolished in 1737. This reconstruction followed centuries of use as an important monastic community in the region.

The church keeps the name Sankt Marienkirche although it was dedicated to the Holy Trinity at its inauguration in 1738. Its parish belonged to the Stade deanery of the Lutheran Church of Hanover, and the provost of the former convent held the right to nominate pastors for Himmelpforten, Großenwörden and Horst upon Oste. A chalice from 1422 survives from the convent.

The church is oriented, with the preserved eastern part of the old abbey's northern wall and adjoining apsis wall built into the 1738 structure, so the altar end faces east. The building was rebuilt to roughly half the length of the medieval abbey church and slightly narrower. Look for the small covered notice board at the right corner of the brick facade for parish information.

The 1422 chalice is the only liturgical vessel to survive the 1629 seizure, when subdelegates of the Restitution Commission took the church's devices and handed them to Jesuit Father Matthias Kalkhoven; they vanished with the Jesuits in April 1632. The chalice stayed with the convent and is kept to this day.