Report of the church of Merlsheim

Since the rectory separation on 4 July 1299, which bishop Otto Graf von Rietberg has made between Poembsen and Nieheim, Merlsheim is documented as part of the parish of Poembsen. Since 1. September 1925 Merlsheim forms a clerical independent Vikarie with Himmighausen. In the year 1745 a yard chapel is already mentioned, which was dedicated to the hl. Luzia. The chapel confessed by a design of 1781 right from the gate entry of the castle. In the year 1827 the old ramshackle school building was replaced by a new one on the same place. Since the Merlsheimer always wished itself its own church. To the school room a chapel was cultivated, because the people of Merlsheim wished themselves an own church.

Here the literal rendition from the local chronicle of Merlsheim:

“On 13 ten. December the praise day of Luzia  was celebrated in the new school chapel for the first time. Pastor Loedige and Chaplain Reuter to Poembsen, Chaplain Boeddeker of Sandebeck and Chaplain Jacke of Himmighausen performed the divine service. The high mass was a Leviten mass.

The inhabitants of Merlsheim were pleased themselves, that they could perform and listen to the divine service on Luzia, which was held in Himmighausen in former times, afterwards in Poembsen into their own village.

The day of Luzia is a celebration and a praise day for the municipality of Merlsheim. Within living memory this day is celebrated, because the almighty God should protect the people against the ‘rothe Ruhr’  by the intersession of the hl. Luzia.”

But like already in the years 1781/82 (arguments with Pastor Braun of Poembsen) the parish of  Poembsen continued to insist on the fact that the inhabitants of Merlsheim had to come to the parish church of Poembsen.

Only the devotions of the Sundays could be held still in the school chapel.

Here the literal rendition of the argument of 1781/82 from the book of local history and geography of the district of Hoexter, volume 2 of 1927

”In the years 1781/82 arguments played  between the municipality of Merlsheim and Pastor Braun of Poembsen, who was requested by the bischoeflichen authority to be able to be heard substantially after a complaint from Merlsheim ; he answered against the impious complaining community of Merlsen”:

1) Because the yard chapel is only a house chapel, he can not hold the divine service and lecture there, also not on the Sunday after celebration of the patron saint Luzia.

2)He does not have require the remuneration of the easter confession and holy communion for the patients and weak in Merlsheim for himself, but only for the sexton.

3) If the permission for reading divine services in the chapel of Merlsheim is given really shortly, then the municipality of Merlsheim must purchase its own cup, since it cannot required for him “to carry a cup under the arm from Poembsen to Merlsheim.”

 4) The monthly christian teachings in Merlsheim are not possible, because in Poembsen general christian teachings for all villages of the parish take place; Merlsheim is to send the youth on Sundays, instead of letting them grow up on the lanes of nature.

When a father held christian teachings at the time of the Domdechat von Ketteler, then it was a coincidental act, which does not create commitment for the rector.

 - no one knows, how this controversy ends-  „

Note:

How much the inhabitants of Merlsheim wished to have an own church, you can see in several old documents. In the land register book from 1860 there is the s.c. Doerinsche Haus specified under house No. 55. For this house the municipality of Merlsheim is registered as owner with use as church by date from 11 August 1869.

Whether this building was  used as church, is not delivered.

1868/69

In the years 1868/69 the current chapel was built by the baron Jos. von Hoevel

Here the literal rendition of the building of the chapel from the local chronicle:

“The year one thousand eight hundred eight and sixty was a blessed one for the municipality of Merlsheim. A chapel was built, approx. 60 foot long, 24 foot wide.

Since the year 1827 a small chapel was cultivated at the school room and in it the devotion was implemented up to 19 August 1869. On this day the first hl fair was read in the new chapel. The chapel was freely built by the baron Jos. von Hoevel. The municipality members did not have costs, only the stones had to be carried. The building began on 15 April 1868 and was finished  at the end of October. Through the winter it remained standing for draining, and in the spring 1869 it was consecrated, and, as read above, the 1. hl. fair was read on 19 August”

1896 a long desired organ was purchased by free donations

The organ-builder Ackermann in Detmold supplied it. The price amounted to 1200 Marks.

Starting from 16 December 1902 the Sundays fair could be read also for the entire locality, which was held by Kaplan Grueter from Himmighausen. He received 600 Marks for it, which had to be paid by the property of  Merlsheim and the village Merlsheim ever to the half.

The fact that the Merlsheimer could go now in the own locality to the fair particularly made the older people happy, since in bad weather the approx. 4 km far way to the Poembser churchthat was often difficult . For instance in the center of the “Alter Kirchweg” stands a statue of 1757, which was set up after narrations of older inhabitants as prayer station and to the reverence of Maria.

In the year 1908 the municipality of Merlsheim got the permission for letting christened the children in the local chapel.

1947/48

After donation of the chapel with the church area to the parish of Merlsheim in 1947/48 by Ms.von und zur Muehlen an extension building was made.

Since the number of inhabitants substantially had become larger by the refugees and bomb-damaged, the church was extended by a cultivation partly forward, partly after the change of currency . In this time the building project could be completed only by material donations, by exchange and compensating as well as by own contributions with hand and clamping services.

For the two new bells an additional tower had to be established. The bells were supplied by the association of Bochum and equipped later with electric drive.

On 5 September 1948 the inauguration took place by the bishop Augustinius Baumann.

At the beginning of the seventies and 1995/97 renovation and modernization work were made on the entire interior and external area of the church.

The 1868/69 with sandstones built chapel stands under monument protection.

Pastors in the parish of Pömbsen from 1785 to 1925       

Clergyman after building parish of Himmighausen – Merlsheim in the year 1925

Pfarrvikar August Stöcker from Sept. 1925 to 14.04.1926 Pfarrvikar August Westholt to 16.04.1931 Pfarrvikar Franz Kriwetts  to 01.04.1936 Pfarrvikar Bernhard Beverungen   to 15.08.1942 Pfarrvikar Josef Hesse  to 04.11.1945 Pfarrvikar  Anton Ostermann to 17.08.1949 Pfarrer August Göllner  to 01.10.1953 Geistl. Rat Alfred Hrabobsky  to 06.04.1954 Pfarrvikar Josef Poggel  to 08.04.1964 Pfarrvikar Siegfried Wachowiak  to   July 1975 Pfarrer Hubert Poschmann to 24.07.1985 Pastor Joachim Niewrzol to 22.06.1986 Pastor Alfred Masermann to 27.09.1997 Pastor Pater Antony to 30.09.1998 Pastor Pater Janusz Kudyba to 20.09.2002 Pastor Helmut Meyer Since 1. October 2002

To 1 October 1998 Pastor Father Janusz Kudyba was assigned to the parishes of Sandebeck, Grevenhagen, Himmighausen and Merlsheim and he was appointed to the pastor of the rectories of Stoermede and Moennighausen after an activity of 4 years. The leaving divine service in Merlsheim was on 20 September 2002.

Since 1 October 2002 Pastor Helmut Meyer is responsible for the parishes of Merlsheim, Oeynhausen and Himmighausen. The introduction divine service in Merlsheim was on 20 October 2002.

Introduction of the Pastoralverbuende

In July 2000 the new archiepistcopal basic statute was presented to the Pastoralverbuenden. In the Dekanat Brakel-Steinheim there should develop seven Pastoralverbuende. For the district of  Nieheim is intended a pastoralverbund.