[6] St. Laurentiuskirche

Description

Welcome to the "Cathedral of the Franconian Forest," the St. Laurentius Church in Buchbach. The modern place of worship was built in 1970/71 under the leadership of then pastor Reinhold Goldmann. The tower and main church define the striking exterior of the building. The tower, in its shape, symbolizes a conifer of the Franconian Forest. It bears four clock faces, which are meant to illuminate important connections of the church with symbols (for example, the sacraments or the liturgical year). At the tip sits the martyr and church patron Laurentius as a weather vane. The main church, with its hexagonal floor plan, is intended to remind of the crown of thorns and thus of Jesus Christ’s redemptive act, through its six roof dormers.

On the dormers and at the roof peak there are seven gargoyles, which (operated automatically inside the church) represent seven sources of living water and thus recall the holy number seven (sacraments, works of mercy, etc.). The church interior is designed to evoke the habitat of life from the ground up: visitors enter the church into the “trunk” that widens through the foyer to the crown of the main church, where the altar stands in its center. Opposite the main portal (Theme: I believe in the church) lies the Weekday Church in the space beneath the tower. There you will find the altarpiece (Laurentius with the palm of victory) and the four figures from the main altar as well as the statue of the Madonna from Buchbach’s old church (1754–1984). In the anteroom of the main church stands the baptismal font made of rose marble, formed as a double cross.

It symbolizes that people from all over the world (four cardinal directions) are united through baptism with Jesus (the Cross) into one church. The two stained-glass panels mark the beginning and end of Jesus’ earthly life: the conception by the Holy Spirit in Mary, and the thorn-crowned end on the Cross as the Lamb of God. The main church impresses with its tall, expansive architecture. It is not only a combination of six equilateral triangles (symbol for the Triune God) but also takes the shape of a honeycomb, reflecting the diligence of the Buchbach citizens who contributed 40,000 hours of voluntary work to the construction of this church. The altar, made of the same rose marble, takes the form of a chalice and stands in the middle so that people can gather around it.

The five pew blocks reference Christians of the five continents, who are united through the celebration of the Eucharist with Christ in His church. The surrounding light band of crown glass conveys the message that God offers His covenant to the whole world at all times. The area behind the liturgical block (opposite the entrance) shows the Triune God (dove with cross and eye of God), who made His covenant with Israel in the wilderness (radiant crown in the right wing with the burning thorn bush, God’s Word as A and Ω, manna bread and shepherd’s staff) and then established a New Covenant in Jesus (radiant crown in the left wing with chalice and bread of the Last Supper).

The other four sides of the light band depict the continents of the earth, as well as the sun, moon, and stars as symbols of all creation. The human face to the left of the dove points to Mary as a role model, because, like her, humanity must say YES to God’s will so that His saving purpose can become a reality. The organ loft above the Holy Spirit is intended to “ignite” and inspire people to praise God.