History of Kent School - part 3
The Parish of Schwalmtaldom
By the end of the 19th Century many new churches were built by the Catholics in Niederrhein. The inhabitants of Kirspel Waldniel - a nearby village to the Kent School buildings - established their place of worship at the site of the Kent School chapel.
The Chapel of the St. Josefsheims
The Schwalmtaldom collected monies from the residents of Kirspel to establish a new Catholic church. However, the protestant minister of Waldniel his bishop rejected these monies categorically. The residents of Kirspel found a way round this. The collected money (along with a generous donation from brothers and sisters Wix, Hostert), went to build a church that folk in the area could visit on condition that there was a regular holy fair organised by the Franciscans. This church, the Chapel of the St. Josefsheims, was inaugurated 1912.
Altar choir of the empty church, 2004
The internal decor
The Franciscans started painting the chapel at the beginning of the thirties in accordance with the tastes of the time. Franz Xaver Haak from Erkelenz carved the reliefs of the main altar, which was completed in 1932.
Christ king from the high altar of 1932
Pfarrvikarie
Surprisingly, the residents of the surrounding area continued to gather for services during the Nazi period. There was a kirchenchor with 23 members under rector guard village. After the Second World War the parish became established as the first Rectorate in 1947. 1978 a new church was built by the church authorities as Pfarrvikarie [help?] in Waldnieler Heath. Ever since then the former Franciscan chapel has stood empty.
PART 1 - The start of the story
