Saint Paul's Church, a piece of history The construction of the current St. Pauluskerk Vaals from 1892-1893. When the church building from 1833 became too small, the church board turned to the bishop with the request to build a new church. On February 20, 1890, the Bishop of Roermond (Msgr. Fr. Boermans) gave approval for the construction on a site along the Kerkstraat/ Lindenstraat.
Architect J. Kayser from Maastricht was engaged for the design of the new church. On May 9, 1892 the foundation stone was laid on behalf of the bishop by Dean van Oppen. On August 4, 1893, the cross was hoisted on the church tower and on Sunday August 20, the baptism of the three church bells took place. On Tuesday October 24, 1893, the church was consecrated by Bishop Mgr. fr. farmer's.
Neo-Gothic Basilica of the Cross
The church is a neo-Gothic cruciform basilica: a high nave (20 meters) and a lower aisle on both sides, separated by a row of columns. The central nave of the rectangular building is closed off by a three-sided extension (priest choir).
When the new church was put into use, the remarkable situation came to an end that the medieval church tower of the Catholic Church was used simultaneously by two Christian churches: in 1669/1671 the Dutch Reformed congregation had its new church against the north facade of built the Catholic church tower (simultaneous use).
The tower is 63 meters high and the cross 6 meters. The small Angelus Tower is 15 meters high and houses the baptismal bell from 1834.
The showpiece of the St. Paul's Church is the main altar
The altarpieces from left to right show the sacrifice of Melchizedech, the sacrifice of Abraham who wants to sacrifice his son Isaac and the Last Supper; then the wedding of Cana, the rain of manna in the wilderness, and the Passover of the Jews just before the Exodus from Egypt.
The oak polychrome altar was made in the Houtermans studio in Roermond (around 1893). The sacrificial altar was made by the carpentry company Ulrich Prange after a design by the Vaalser artist Franz Griesenbrock. The corpus (in ceramics) is also by his hand.
The stained glass windows at the main altar
two windows were donated by the ladies Henriëtte and Pauline Tyrell and their brother Heinrich (cost 3000 Mark), designed by GJ Bentz and manufactured in the Königliche Bayerische Glasmalerei Zettler in Munich. The third (middle) was donated by an unknown (1700 Mark). In 1901 the remaining two windows in the choir were purchased from donations from the parishioners.
The stained glass tableau: 'The Descent from the Cross of Christ'
At the back of the church at the entrance to the rood screen the stained glass tableau: The Descent from the Cross. After P. Rubens and painted by the Vaalser painter Franz Griesenbrock and made in studio 'Joelle d'Alsace' in Lanaeken.
The Clocks
In August 1893, the bell foundry F. Otto in Hemelingen-Bremen (Germany) placed the three large bells in the tower. The clocks weigh resp. 1300, 750 and 410 kg. and are cast in an alloy of 78% copper and 22% tin including the fittings for an amount of 6000 Mark.
Restorations
Because the St. Pauluskerk is located right next to the Kerkstraat, it is extra sensitive to the influences of traffic. In 1892/93 at most a horse and carriage came through the street, the increasing traffic of cars, tourist coaches and heavy trailers to supply the shops, formed a real attack on the stability of the church building, causing the wall at the top to expand. of 10 centimeters. Tie rods have neutralized this problem. Several major restorations have already taken place.
This text has been automatically translated using an online translation service.
