Kirche Hongg

(with vineyard)

Kirche Hongg,
Zurich, Switzerland

Church Plaque

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The Reformed church (Alte Kirche Höngg) (Link 1.)

"The Alte Kirche Höngg (old church of Höngg) is a Reformed church in the district 10 of Zürich. Its congregation forms part of the Evangelical "Reformed Church of the Canton of Zürich.

"Based on archeological research, the basement of the church relates to the 8/9th century. Therefore, the vineyard on which this church is on top of is a point for people to pray and meet since over 1200 years.

"Over the last few centuries, the church has been extended in size and structure before getting the shape it has today. However, at the beginning of the Reformation in 1523 a few local inhabitants removed all the statues and pictures from within the church. It was further in 1863 where the tower roof together with the clock face was renewed." (Link 1.)

Kirche Hangg

" The pulpit with the sound coverdates back to the 19th century , and the choir window was designed in 1969 by Franz Karl Opitz . The baptismal font of the church dates from the same year .(Link 2.)

Kirche Hangg

"In 1898, a pneumatic membrane organ was built by Carl Theodor Kuhn, Männedorf. This instrument had 9 registers on 2 manuals and pedal. Already in 1925, the first instrument was replaced by a new, pneumatic Taschenladenorgel by Carl Theodor Kuhn, Männedorf, with 16 sounding registers on two manuals and pedal. Its present organ was given to the church Höngg in the year 1972. It concerns a mechanical Schleifladenorgel, built by organ building Kuhn AG, Männedorf, with 20 registers on 2 manuals and pedal. In 1991, a revision of the instrument by Orgelbau Kuhn AG, Männedorf. " (Link 2.)

Kirche Hangg Gate

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Photos:  Taken with iPhone in Sept. 2018 by RW while living and working in

                Basel, Switzerland.

Link 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alte_Kirche_
Link2:  H%C3%B6ngghttps://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirche_H%C3%B6ngg_(Z%C3%BCrich)

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Happy Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend

                                                                            Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

St. Paul Katholische Kirche

Junction Obergrundstrasse (highway to Kriens) / Moosmattstrasse (Link 1.)

Kirche St. Paul Katholische Kirche
Lucerne, Switzerland

Church Sign

"Dating back to 1912, Lucerne's St. Paul's Church was designed by Swiss architect Karl Coelestin Moser. It’s an amazing church with a splendid interior, charming frescoes and majestic glass paintings." (Link 2.)

Above Entrance

"St. Paul's Church was the first modern church in Lucerne after Jesuit Church (1677). While the inhabitants of the first 19th century boomtown district Neustadt had a relatively short distance to the medieval left shore Franciscan Church, inhabitants of the younger Hirschmatt district demanded for their own parish church. So St. Paul's Church replaced an older chapel on the road to Kriens." (Link 1.)

Sanctuary

"SrPaul's Church is a unique blend of Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau Styles." (Link 1.)

Altar

Chapel

Photos: Taken in June 2018 with an Iphone by Richard Wilson while living and working in Basel Switzerland.
Link 1: http://lucerne.all-about-switzerland.info/lucerne-stpauluschurch.html
Link 2: https://www.gpsmycity.com/attractions/st-pauls-church-20218.html

                                                                    Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

Baden Reformed Church

Baden Reformed Church

Aargau, Switzerland

Front of Steeple

" Baden is an old town in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland known for its mineral hot springs since Roman occupation of the area. The town is located on the banks of the river Limmat about 25 kilometres north-west of Zurich." (Link 2.)

Entrance

The Baden Church was built in 1714.  (Link 1.)

"The Reformed Church of Aargau or Reformierte Landeskirche des Kantons Aargau is a Reformed state cantonal church in Aargau, Switzerland. It was founded in 1803, and according to the 2004 statistics the Aargau Reformed Church had 76 Presbyteries and 1 Synod with almost 200,000 members and 76 parishes and 107 ordained clergy.The official language is German. Member of the Schweizerischer Evangelischer Kirchenbund. (Link 1.)

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Photos: Taken in January 2018  with iPhone by Richard Wilson while living and
                 working in Basel, Switzerland.
Link 1:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformed_Church_of_Aargau
Link 2: https://www.360cities.net/image/bahnhofsplatz-bad
n-aargau-switzerland

                                                                           Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

Eglise Saint Theodule Church

Eglise Saint Theodule Roman Catholic Church
Gruyere, Switzerland

"Gruyères ... is a town in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourgin Switzerland. Its German name is Greyerz.

"The medieval town is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane/Sarine river, and gives its name to Gruyère cheese. The medieval town is located at the top of 82 metre-high hill^[3]overlooking the Saane valley and the Lake of Gruyère.

"Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks French (1,398 or 90.4%) as their first language, German is the second most common (60 or 3.9%) and Portuguese is the third (18 or 1.2%). There are 7 people who speak Italian and 2 people who speak Romansh

"A major tourist attraction is the medieval town of Gruyères with its castle, containing a regional museum and an arts museum. There are cultural activities in the castle (concerts, theater). There is a cheese factory in Pringy which is open to visitors

"From the 2000 census, 1,261 or 81.6% were Roman Catholic, while 92 or 6.0% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 10 members of an Orthodox church (or about 0.65% of the population), and there were 43 individuals (or about 2.78% of the population) who belonged
to another Christian church." (Link 1.)

Sanctuary and Altar

Rear of Sanctuary

"Before taking the left hand cobbled road to the castle, my spouse and I veered to the right in the well-preserved medieval village and found this lovely church. It is unfortunate that it is not listed in any travel guides, and as such, many miss it.

Side Chapel

Painting in Sanctuary

"Inside, one finds a series of medallions running around the walls above the arches that depict the stations of the cross. A gorgeous wooden pulpit and staircase is worth a photo or two. The altar features reddish marble. Turn around and look up to the back of the church to see a series of stunning silver organ pipes trimmed in wood and gold.:(Link 2.)

Nativity Display

"The church was built during 13th century when Count Rudolph III took permission for a parish church on the left bank of the Saane covering the needs between Treme and Marivue villages, until then most villagers of the area had to go to Bulle), and was dedicated to St. Theodul in 1254. 

"The church destroyed by fire 2 times, in 1679 when a lightning stroke the tower and burnt the bells and again in 1856 with only the tower and the choir surving. It was renovated again 4 years later, in 1860."(Link 3)

"While modest in scope, this lovely church is worth a visit."( Link 2.)

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Photos: Taken with iPhone  in January 2018 by Richard Wilson who lives and
                 works in Basel Switzerland.

Link 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruy%C3%A8res
Link 2: https://www.tripadvisor.ca
Link 3: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMP8EA_StTheodul_Church_Gruyeres_Switzerland

                                                                            Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

 St. Sofia Orthodox Church

Baselstr. & Gladiolenstr. 2
Munchenstein
Basel-Landschaft

St. Sofia Orthodox Church

Munchenstein, Switzerland

Munchenstein is a small town south of Basel.


"All the Greek-Orthodox churches in Switzerland belong to the Metropolitan (bishopric) of Switzerland.  Bartholomew's Archontoon is the Ecumenical Patriarch. In 2002, he also laid the cornerstone of this church..., making it the spiritual center of the Greek Orthodox Church in northwest Switzerland.

"The first ideas for the construction of a church of its own originated in the late 1980s. 

Dome

"The total area of ​​the property is about 1000sqm and the building height is 14m. The foundation was laid on January 19, 2002 and the church was inaugurated on October 12, 2002, after ten months of construction. The total cost - almost 9/10 of the total (was)  donated  .

Just behind the Tramlinie and the traffic circle of the Baselstrasse, you can see a building that is easily recognizable as a church: a tower through which arcuate openings can be seen, carrying a cross; A main building with a dome, almost as tall as the tower and also crowned by a cross; An arcade at the entrance; The wrought-iron fence with a recurring Christmonogram, the property borders the Trottoir along the traffic of the roundabout and the Quartierstrasse. 

Wrought Iron Fence

"Concerning the interior of the church,

• The iconostasis, carved from oak, was handcrafted in Athens and finished after seven months' work in 2003.
• The murals , which always have a specific theme from the traditional Orthodox tradition, were first painted on cloth by a Greek monastery in Megara and then placed in the designated places.
• Among the items made in Greece are the candelabrum, the hand-carved bishop's chair, the pulpit, the wall chairs, the remaining chairs, the silver oil lamps, the candlestick and the candle stand with integrated smoke exhaust as well as all the liturgical devices placed in the altar room.
• The double eagle on the marble floor once symbolized the power of the emperor and that of the patriarch.
• The dome is decorated according to the orthodox tradition, with the representation of the Christ- Pantokrator surrounded by angels in half-figure. His right is raised to a blessing of blessing, while in his left hand he holds the Bible, which, according to orthodox understanding, symbolizes the glad tidings of the Gospel and the commandments to be derived from them. Old Testament prophets as well as the evangelists are also depicted. The first proclaimed the coming of the Savior, the evangelists made known His work of salvation. Thus the unity of the two testaments is emphasized.
• In the calotte (cap) of the apse in the altar chamber, the enthroned Mother of God is depicted with a child - called the Platytera - accompanied by angels. The presentation of Mary, which is based on tradition, is intended to illustrate the role of mediator between God and man, which is guaranteed by Jesus as the savior of the world, but also emphasize the position of women in the Orthodox Church. This is also emphasized by the figure of the Annunciation of Mary above the apse, which is to be completed next year, together with other themes from the divine Oiconomy .

"Finally, the mosaic of the deceased Lucerne artist Fred de Roy (1911-1995) is located in the church hall on the lower floor of the church . (Link 1.)

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Photos: Taken in April 2017 on iPhone by RW while  living and working in
                 Basel, Switzerland.

Link 1: http://www.orthkiba.org/ (translation)
Link 2: http://orthodox-world.org/en/i/12482/Saint_Sofia_Orthodox_Church_Munchenstein 

                                                                       Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

                                                                                                                              March 26, 2017

St. Josep Catholic Church

(Google Image)

St. Josep Catholic Church
Rheinfelden, Switzerland

"Rheinfelden used to be roman-catholic until the schism of the 1870s Then the majority of the residents decided to join the newly founded christian-catholic church and the medieval church St. Martin in the town center became one of the centers of this new denomination.

"Das Himmlische Jerusalem"

Sanctuary

Painting  Detail

"It took ten years for the remaining pro-Roman catholics to find a place and the budget to build a new church. In 1882 the old church St. Josef was inaugurated. In 1948 the church was dismantled and rebuilt at almost the same location just a few steps outside the medieval town wall east of the historic center.

Altar

"The church is a frugal building with a freestanding bell tower. At the left side is has a community center as an annex that was added in 1976.

Cross

"Famous pieces inside the church there is a large painting in the chancel by Johannes Hugentobler called "Das Himmlische Jerusalem" and a wooden statue of St. Anna from around 1500." (Link.)

St. Anna

Floor Panel
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Photos: Taken by RW while living and working in Basel Switzerland.

Link:

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMDP71_St_Josef_Rheinfelden_AG_Switzerland

Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

                                                                                                              March 12, 2017

4310 Rheinfelden

St. Martin's

Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche
Rheinfelden, Switzerland

"Rheinfelden is a municipality in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, seat of the district of Rheinfelden. It is located 15 kilometres east of Basel. The name means the fields of the Rhine, as the town is located on the Hochrhein. It is home to Feldschlösschen, the most popular beer in Switzerland." (Link 2.)

" The church St. Martin is located in the historic center of Rheinfelden.

"An older and smaller preceding church was replaced by one of almost the current size in the late 11th century. This church was mentioned in 1146 by Bernard of Clairvaux. In 1228 the bishop of Basel gave permit to the foundation of a convent of canons that existed until 1870.

"The church was extended and modified several times, 1378 to 1395, 1669 and especially between 1769 and 1772 when the gothic structure was adapted to late baroque, but without touching the basic structure. This is basically the current condition, it was renovated, but stayed unchanged in the late 19th century and again in the 1980s.

"The church was Roman-Catholic until 1873. The majority of the local church members ("all but one") decided to separate from Rome, the community with the church and all its possessions joined the newly founded Christian-Catholic Church. Since then St. Martin is the Christian-Catholic parish church of Rheinfelden. The remaining Roman-Catholics built a new church outside the historic town walls some years later.

"In 1876 Eduard Herzog received his Ordination as the first Christian-Catholic bishop of Switzerland in St. Martin." (Link 1.)

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Photos: Taken by RW while living and working in Basel Switzerland.
Link 1: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMENH7_Stadtkirche_St_Martin_Rheinfelden_AG_Switzerland
Link 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheinfelden

Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

Swiss Reform Church, Saint Martin's

Swiss Reform Church, Saint Martin's
Vevey, Switzerland

Vevey Switzerland
(Link 1.)

"Vevey (French pronunciation: ​[vəvɛ]) is a town in Switzerland in the canton Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne.

"It was the seat of the district of the same name until 2006, and is now part of the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut District. It is part of the French-speaking area of Switzerland.

"Vevey is noted for being the final home of comedy legend Charlie Chaplin and his family from 1952 to 1977.

"Vevey is home to the world headquarters of the food giant Nestlé, founded here in 1867. Milk chocolate was invented in Vevey by Daniel Peter in 1875." (Link 1.)

Swiss Reform Church Saint Martin's

(Photo by RW.)

"The Swiss Reformed Church (German: Evangelisch-reformierte Kirchen der Schweiz, "Evangelical-Reformed Swiss Church") refers to the Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingliand spread within a few years to Basel (Johannes Oecolampadius), Bern(Berchtold Haller and Niklaus Manuel), St. Gallen (Joachim Vadian), to cities in southern Germany and via Alsace (Martin Bucer) to France.

"Since 1920, the Swiss Reformed Churches have been organized in 26 member churches of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches. According to a 2012 Swiss census, 26.9% of Swiss population were reported as registered members of a Reformed cantonal church." (Link 3.)

Swiss Reform Church of Saint Martin's

(Link 1.)

"... the organ specifications (Kuhn's organ). It's 3 manuals with 48 ranks of pipes. Mechanical key action with electro/pneumatic stop action slider chests. Very "French" specification. A beautiful sounding organ indeed." (Link 2.)

Swiss Reform Church St. Martin's Organ
(Photo by pinterest.)

Photo: Taken by RW with i Phone while living and working in 
               Basel, Switzerland.

Link 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vevey

Link 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H30bQruQtUM

Link 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Reformed_Church

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Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)