Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality of the Diocese of Limburg

The Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality (German: Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität) is an institution of the Diocese of Limburg, Germany. It is based at the Holy Cross Church in Frankfurt-Bornheim and is dedicated to services, contemplation, meditation, retreats, counseling, and other events such as concerts.

Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality
Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität
Holy Cross Church, the main location of the centre
EstablishedJuly 1, 2007 (2007-07-01)
FounderFranz Kamphaus
Legal statusChurch institution
Location
LeaderSamuel Stricker
Parent organization
Diocese of Limburg
Websitemeditationszentrum.bistumlimburg.de

History
Meditation area in the crypt of the church
Auxiliary bishop Thomas Löhr during the fifth anniversary of the centre in 2012
Cretan style advent-labyrinth consists of 2,500 burning tealights inside the church in 2012
"Tram of Silence" with M-type railcar 102 in 2013
Compositions of light, words, and music during the Luminale festival in Frankfurt Cathedral in collaboration with the Youth Church JONA in 2014

When Franz Kamphaus, then bishop of Limburg, visited the parishes of Frankfurt in 2004, he met people who were open to spiritual experiences but not within the traditional churches.[1] He founded the centre in 2007. On 15 January he signed the charter of foundation for the theme church Holy Cross – Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality in Frankfurt-Bornheim. The charter of foundation came into effect on 1 July 2007.[2]

The Holy Cross Church accommodates one of five profile churches of the Diocese of Limburg. The others are the Centre for Mourning Counselling in St. Michael in Frankfurt-Nordend and the three youth churches: Crossover in St. Hildegard in Limburg an der Lahn, Jona in St. Bonifatius in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen, and Kana in Maria-Hilf in Wiesbaden-Nordost. Like the church St. Michael, the Holy Cross Church is a branch church of the parish St. Josef Frankfurt. The centre is a pastoral institution of the diocese[2] and is subordinated to the head of department of the Episcopalian chair (Dr. Hildegard Wustmans).[3] The centre was directed from 2007 until July 2018 by the Franciscan Helmut Schlegel OFM,[4] where he worked until June 2019 as a retreat and meditation leader and priestly co-worker. Since November 2018 the centre is directed by the theologist Samuel Stricker guide. In August 2019 Olaf Lindenberg took over the role as priestly co-worker.[5] They work with a team of contributors, for example from the order of Medical Missionary Sisters.[6]

In March 2020, the Center's program had to be suspended because all worship services in Germany and thus all other events had to be cancelled due to the COVID 19 pandemic in Germany.[7] However, at certain times the church is open for meditation for a limited number of people.[8] In May services were resumed on Saturdays under special conditions.[9]

Program

Although the offerings of the centre reflect the tenets of Christianity, the target audience includes people of all religious denominations, worldviews, and cultures. The team[5] publishes a new program annually.[10] The center offers different kinds of church services, such as expressionist dance, meditation courses, contemplative prayer, Zen-meditation courses, days of reflection, spiritual exercises, retreats, special events like lectures by guest speakers such as Anselm Grün,[11] meditations with the Sōtō-Zen-priest and veteran of the Vietnam War Claude AnShin Thomas,[12] external events like retreats on the North Sea island Wangerooge or sailing retreats and many other kinds of events.

Event series include or have included days of exercises of Christian mysticism, meditative singing, meditative archery, a male conversation group, spiritual guided city tours in which topics by Frankfurt tourist guides are joined with spiritual topics or pilgrim hikes with a picnic and devotions.[10] One-time events are also part of the program, for example, the Tram of Silence tram rides on an historic railcar of the Frankfurt tramway system, including elements such as silence with short, thought-provoking impulses to the senses of seeing, hearing, feeling, and smelling.[13]

The dialogue between the cultures and major religious groups concerning meditation and spirituality is another important aspect of the work of the centre. These include panel discussions with representatives of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity about meditation, with personal field reports from the different religions. Other examples are or were courses in Qi Gong, Yoga and Yoga nidra, or dance performances of an Indian Jesuit padre who figures elements of traditional meditative dances such as Bharatanatyam from Hinduism as a kind of prayer to God.[14]

For the last few years, a Cretan-style labyrinth consisting of 2,500 tealights has been formed on the third Saturday of Advent before the Gaudete Sunday. This labyrinth is part of the service and can be walked through by visitors.[15][16]

During the Frankfurt Luminale festival of light in 2014 the team members of the centre offered a meditation consisting of light, words, music, and sound in cooperation with the Jona youth church in the Frankfurt Cathedral.[17]

Concert performances at the center have included A German Requiem by Johannes Brahms and meditative music from the Middle Ages by Hildegard of Bingen, Peter Abelard, and Rabanus Maurus.[18]

Interior

The interior of the church was modified for the new purpose, completed in 2010. The fixed pews were removed and replaced by folding chairs which enabled a more flexible use. While the former main altar is normally not used, a smaller wooden altar has been added, typically surrounded by circles of folding chairs. Stairlifts and ramps for wheelchairs were installed. The former crypt and the rooms of the former clergy house were transformed to be used for meditation. In the crypt, the floor was changed to wood, and the meditation area was enclosed by textile panels made from linen.[19]

Church building and parish

The Centre of Christian Meditation and Spirituality is located in the parish area of the Catholic parish St. Josef Frankfurt am Main, which was founded as a "parish of a new type" on 1 January 2015. In the new greater parish area there are four churches located as "church places" and two churches as "theme churches". One of the two theme churches is the Holy Cross Church, which headquarters the meditation centre and is used for church services and centre events. The buildings are administrated by the Catholic Church of the city of Frankfurt am Main. There is an active collaboration with the parish of St. Josef Frankfurt am Main.

Since the beginning of the restoration of the interior of St. Leonhard in Frankfurt-Altstadt, the services of the local St. Leonhard's International English-Speaking Catholic Parish have been held in the Holy Cross Church since 7 May 2011.[20] This remains the home of the Holy Cross Church even after the end of the work.[21]

Transport connections

The Holy Cross Church is one-minute walking distance from the Ernst-May-Platz tram stop of the tramline 14 of the Frankfurt tramway, and the Stadtbahn station Eissporthalle/Festplatz of the line U7 of the Frankfurt light rail system. Also not far away is the motorway exit Frankfurt-Ost of the Federal Motorway 661.

Camino de Santiago

Beneath the Bornheim slope to the east of the meditation centre runs a branch of the German Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James).[22] The route is based on the ancient trade route from Leipzig to Frankfurt am Main (Des Reiches Straße). The way starts in the bishop city Fulda and continues through Schlüchtern, Steinau an der Straße, Bad Soden-Salmünster, Gelnhausen, Langenselbold, Erlensee, and Bruchköbel. It belongs to the network of main pilgrimage routes to the grave of St. James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This branch, which is 116 km long, passes the Holy Cross Church and leads through the Ostpark, and then passes the Seat of the European Central Bank at the former Großmarkthalle (Wholesale Market Hall) on its route to the Main River and the inner city of Frankfurt am Main. It also passes the Eiserner Steg (an iron footbridge) and continues to Mainz and Trier.[23]

Literature
  • Dr. Hermann Gille, P. Helmut Schlegel, Katholische Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche Frankfurt-Bornheim (in German), Regensburg: Verlag Schnell und Steiner, ISBN 978-3-7954-6808-8

References
  1. "Meditationskirche Heilig Kreuz". Wege mit Franziskus (in German): 22. 2009.
  2. Diocese of Limburg (1 February 2007). "Dekret des Bischofs Franz Kamphaus vom 15.01.2007 über die Errichtung der Profilkirche "Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität" (=decree of bishop Franz Kamphaus from 15 January 2007 concerning the foundation of the theme church "Holy Cross - Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality")" (in German). Parish of St.-Josef Frankfurt. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  3. Diocese of Limburg (2018). "Dezernat Pastorale Dienste (=Department Pastoral Services)" (in German). Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  4. "Schlegel, Helmut" (in German). Diocese of Limburg. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  5. Katting, Heidi (6 June 2018). "Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität - Team - Über uns (=Holy Cross - Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality - Team - About us)" (in German). Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  6. Medical Missionary Sisters. "Missionsärztliche Schwestern in Frankfurt (=Medical Missionary Sisters in Frankfurt)" (in German). Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  7. "Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität – Alle Veranstaltungen bis 19.4. entfallen (=Holy Cross – Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality – All events until 19.4. are cancelled)" (in German). Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  8. Simone Müller (12 April 2020). "Unsere Türen sind offen (=Our doors are open)" (in German). Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  9. "Freiraum – Gottesdienst (=open space - church service)" (in German). Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  10. "Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität – Programm Januar bis Juni 2019 (=Holy Cross - Centre for Christian Meditation and Spirituality - Program January until June 2019)" (in German). Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität. 29 January 2019. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  11. "Heilig Kreuz Kirche wird zur Galerie (=Holy Cross Church becomes a gallery)" (in German). Frankfurter Neue Presse. 9 January 2014. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  12. "Meditation mit einem Zen-Mönch – Claude AnShin Thomas kommt nach Bornheim (=meditations with a Zen-monk – Claude AnShin Thomas comes to Bornheim)". Bornheimer Wochenblatt year 20 No 42 (in German): 8. 19 October 2016.
  13. "Tram of Silence – Ganz im Schweigen Straßenbahn fahren (=Tram of Silence – Quite go by tram in silence)" (in German). Taron-Antiquariat. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  14. "P. Dr. Saju George SJ – Indischer Jesuit und Bharatanatyam Tänzer (=P. Dr. Saju George SJ – Indian Jesuit and Bharatanatyam dancer)" (PDF) (in German). kirche-und-dialog.de. 5 March 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  15. "Terminanmeldung – Meditation und Gestaltung eines Adventslabyrinths (=Appointment – Meditation and design of an Advent labyrinth)" (in German). Heilig Kreuz – Zentrum für christliche Meditation und Spiritualität. 2016. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  16. Stefanie Matulla (11 December 2016). "Das "Türchen" zum 3. Advent (=The "little door" to the 3rd Advent)" (in German). Referat für Mädchen- und Frauenarbeit des Bistums Limburg (=Department for Girls' and Women's Work of the Diocese of Limburg). Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  17. "JONA bei der Luminale 2014 (=JONA at the Luminale 2014) on Flickr" (in German). Jugendkirche JONA (=youth church JONA). 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  18. Stephanie Haas, Christoph Haas. "Ensemble Cosmedin" (in German). Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  19. Hermann Gille, Helmut Schlegel (2009). Katholische Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche Frankfurt-Bornheim (in German). Verlag Schnell und Steiner. ISBN 978-3-7954-6808-8.
  20. St Leonhard’s & St Mary’s (January 2018). "International English-Speaking Roman Catholic Parishes Frankfurt am Main Area St Leonhard's & St Mary's". Diocese of Limburg. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  21. Gernot Gottwals (13 August 2019). "Leonhardskirche wird feierlich wiedereröffnet - Sanierung - Nach acht Jahren sind die Arbeiten abgeschlossen - Der Bischof weiht den neuen Altar (=Leonhardskirche is ceremoniously reopened - Refurbishment - After eight years the work is completed - The bishop consecrates the new altar)". Frankfurter Neue Presse (in German).
  22. rmv.de (11 April 2011). "Rhein-Main-Vergnügen – Jacobsweg (=Frankfurt Rhine-Main-enjoyment)" (PDF) (in German). Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  23. rmv.de (2014). "Rhein-Main-Vergnügen Wanderkarte: Der Jakobsweg von der Fulda an den Main (=Frankfurt Rhine-Main-enjoyment map of trails: The Camino de Santiago from the Fulda to the Main)" (in German). Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund. Retrieved 2 March 2018.

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