St. Matthias and St. Matthias's Abbey Trier, Germany. 14.05.2012 St. Matthias eng/deMore
St. Matthias and St. Matthias's Abbey Trier, Germany.
14.05.2012 St. Matthias eng/de
14.05.2012 St. Matthias eng/de
St. Matthias Abbey Church (Abtei St. Matthias) in Trier houses the relics of St. Matthias, the apostle who was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. The lovely 12th-century church, part of an active Benedictine abbey, is still visited by many Catholic pilgrims.
History
Acts 1:26 reports that Matthias was chosen to replace Judas because he was a witness to the Resurrection. According to early Christian …More
St. Matthias Abbey Church (Abtei St. Matthias) in Trier houses the relics of St. Matthias, the apostle who was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. The lovely 12th-century church, part of an active Benedictine abbey, is still visited by many Catholic pilgrims.
History
Acts 1:26 reports that Matthias was chosen to replace Judas because he was a witness to the Resurrection. According to early Christian writers (Clement of Alexandria, Jerome, Eusebius, and others), Matthias was one of the 72 disciples Jesus sent out during his ministry. He is said to have lived an ascetic life in order to make his spirit subject to the Crucified One.
According to tradition, Matthias preached in Cappadocia, Turkey, and was martyred at Colchis, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. He was sentenced to stoning but this method miraculously failed, so he was beheaded.
St. Helena, Constantine's mother, is said to have brought St. Matthias' relics from Jerusalem and divided them between the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome and this abbey church at Trier.
In Trier, the monks enshrined the relics in a beautifully carved tomb before the altar. Records dating back to the 5th century indicate the existence of a monastery here, on the graves of the first Christian evangelists sent to Trier.
Both monastery and church were rebuilt after the disaster of Maundy Thursday, 882, when the Normans conquered and destroyed Trier. Most of the abbey church that stands today dates from the Romanesque period (1127-1160). The church was consecrated in 1148 by Pope Eugene III.
What to See
St. Matthias Abbey Church overlooks a spacious plaza surrounded by attractive white buildings. The Romanesque church is plastered white and painted with orange accents.
A Baroque facade has been added to the lower west front, which centers on a sculpture of St. Matthias holding an axe and an open book with a reference to John 15:14: "You are my friends if you do what I command."
The church has a "westwork" at the west end, with a tower of blind arcades and a gallery inside. There are two Romanesque towers at the east end. The Romanesque nave has square piers and simple round arches with no decoration, illuminated by small windows in the clerestory.
This simplicity highlights the impressiveness of the ribbed vaulting, which continues into the westwork and the transepts. Painted roof bosses of bishops, angels and saints adorn each vault intersection - bring binoculars or a zoom lens for a good look. The side aisles have a simple Romanesque groin vault.
The Tomb of the Apostle, with a barefooted marble effigy of Matthias, lies at the front of the nave surrounded by tall candles. The relics are beneath the tomb in a small, plain sarcophagus, which is accessible from the crypt.
The crypt also contains two large sarcophagi labeled with Latin names. In the east end of the crypt, look for an interesting roof boss of a bishop defeating a demon.
South of the church is the Benedictine Abbey of St. Matthias, with a 13th-century refectory and dormitory and 18th-century main building. Early Romanesque cloisters have been partly restored.
The abbey museum displays a significant collection of artifacts, paintings and historical documents.
Pilgrimage
Pilgrims still come from around the world to pray at the shrine for Matthias' intercession. Some arrive on organized walking pilgrimages as far as 100 miles.
Festivals and Events
Special services are held here on the feast day of St. Matthias, May 14.
Quick Facts
Site Information
Names:
St. Matthias Abbey; Abtei St. Matthias; Benediktiner Abtei St. Matthias; St. Matthias Abbey Church
Location:
Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Faith:
Christianity
Denomination:
Catholic
Order:
Benedictine
Categories:
Abbeys & Monasteries; Churches
Architecture:
Romanesque
Date:
Founded 4th century; rebuilt 1148
Features:
Relics
Status:
active
Photo gallery:
St. Matthias Abbey Photo Gallery
Visitor Information
Address:
Matthiasstraße 85, 54290 Trier, Germany
Coordinates:
49.738127° N, 6.632754° E (view on Google Maps)
Lodging:
View hotels near this location
Phone:
0651/31079
Website:
www.abteistmatthias.de/index2.html
E-mail:
Gaesteempfang@AbteiStMatthias.de
Public transport:
Bus: 3. It is about a ten-minute bus ride from downtown Trier.
Festival:
May 14
Services:
Sundays: 7am, 10am, 12:30pm, 6pm, 8:45pm
Mon-Fri: 5:45am, 12:30pm, 6:15pm, 8pm; Sat: 5:45am, 12:30pm, 3pm, 8:15pm
www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/trier-st-matthias
History
Acts 1:26 reports that Matthias was chosen to replace Judas because he was a witness to the Resurrection. According to early Christian writers (Clement of Alexandria, Jerome, Eusebius, and others), Matthias was one of the 72 disciples Jesus sent out during his ministry. He is said to have lived an ascetic life in order to make his spirit subject to the Crucified One.
According to tradition, Matthias preached in Cappadocia, Turkey, and was martyred at Colchis, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. He was sentenced to stoning but this method miraculously failed, so he was beheaded.
St. Helena, Constantine's mother, is said to have brought St. Matthias' relics from Jerusalem and divided them between the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome and this abbey church at Trier.
In Trier, the monks enshrined the relics in a beautifully carved tomb before the altar. Records dating back to the 5th century indicate the existence of a monastery here, on the graves of the first Christian evangelists sent to Trier.
Both monastery and church were rebuilt after the disaster of Maundy Thursday, 882, when the Normans conquered and destroyed Trier. Most of the abbey church that stands today dates from the Romanesque period (1127-1160). The church was consecrated in 1148 by Pope Eugene III.
What to See
St. Matthias Abbey Church overlooks a spacious plaza surrounded by attractive white buildings. The Romanesque church is plastered white and painted with orange accents.
A Baroque facade has been added to the lower west front, which centers on a sculpture of St. Matthias holding an axe and an open book with a reference to John 15:14: "You are my friends if you do what I command."
The church has a "westwork" at the west end, with a tower of blind arcades and a gallery inside. There are two Romanesque towers at the east end. The Romanesque nave has square piers and simple round arches with no decoration, illuminated by small windows in the clerestory.
This simplicity highlights the impressiveness of the ribbed vaulting, which continues into the westwork and the transepts. Painted roof bosses of bishops, angels and saints adorn each vault intersection - bring binoculars or a zoom lens for a good look. The side aisles have a simple Romanesque groin vault.
The Tomb of the Apostle, with a barefooted marble effigy of Matthias, lies at the front of the nave surrounded by tall candles. The relics are beneath the tomb in a small, plain sarcophagus, which is accessible from the crypt.
The crypt also contains two large sarcophagi labeled with Latin names. In the east end of the crypt, look for an interesting roof boss of a bishop defeating a demon.
South of the church is the Benedictine Abbey of St. Matthias, with a 13th-century refectory and dormitory and 18th-century main building. Early Romanesque cloisters have been partly restored.
The abbey museum displays a significant collection of artifacts, paintings and historical documents.
Pilgrimage
Pilgrims still come from around the world to pray at the shrine for Matthias' intercession. Some arrive on organized walking pilgrimages as far as 100 miles.
Festivals and Events
Special services are held here on the feast day of St. Matthias, May 14.
Quick Facts
Site Information
Names:
St. Matthias Abbey; Abtei St. Matthias; Benediktiner Abtei St. Matthias; St. Matthias Abbey Church
Location:
Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Faith:
Christianity
Denomination:
Catholic
Order:
Benedictine
Categories:
Abbeys & Monasteries; Churches
Architecture:
Romanesque
Date:
Founded 4th century; rebuilt 1148
Features:
Relics
Status:
active
Photo gallery:
St. Matthias Abbey Photo Gallery
Visitor Information
Address:
Matthiasstraße 85, 54290 Trier, Germany
Coordinates:
49.738127° N, 6.632754° E (view on Google Maps)
Lodging:
View hotels near this location
Phone:
0651/31079
Website:
www.abteistmatthias.de/index2.html
E-mail:
Gaesteempfang@AbteiStMatthias.de
Public transport:
Bus: 3. It is about a ten-minute bus ride from downtown Trier.
Festival:
May 14
Services:
Sundays: 7am, 10am, 12:30pm, 6pm, 8:45pm
Mon-Fri: 5:45am, 12:30pm, 6:15pm, 8pm; Sat: 5:45am, 12:30pm, 3pm, 8:15pm
www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/trier-st-matthias
May 14 St. Matthias
According to Acts 1:15-26, during the days after the Ascension, Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (about 120 of Jesus’ followers). Now that Judas had betrayed his ministry, it was necessary, Peter said, to fulfill the scriptural recommendation that another should take his office. “Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord …More
May 14 St. Matthias
According to Acts 1:15-26, during the days after the Ascension, Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (about 120 of Jesus’ followers). Now that Judas had betrayed his ministry, it was necessary, Peter said, to fulfill the scriptural recommendation that another should take his office. “Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22).
They nominated two men: Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias. They prayed and drew lots. The choice fell upon Matthias, who was added to the Eleven.
Matthias is not mentioned by name anywhere else in the New Testament.
Comment:
What was the holiness of Matthias? Obviously he was suited for apostleship by the experience of being with Jesus from his baptism to his ascension. He must also have been suited personally, or he would not have been nominated for so great a responsibility. Must we not remind ourselves that the fundamental holiness of Matthias was his receiving gladly the relationship with the Father offered him by Jesus and completed by the Holy Spirit? If the apostles are the foundations of our faith by their witness, they must also be reminders, if only implicitly, that holiness is entirely a matter of God’s giving, and it is offered to all, in the everyday circumstances of life. We receive, and even for this God supplies the power of freedom.
Quote:
Jesus speaks of the apostles’ function of being judges, that is, rulers. He said, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).
www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx
According to Acts 1:15-26, during the days after the Ascension, Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (about 120 of Jesus’ followers). Now that Judas had betrayed his ministry, it was necessary, Peter said, to fulfill the scriptural recommendation that another should take his office. “Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22).
They nominated two men: Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias. They prayed and drew lots. The choice fell upon Matthias, who was added to the Eleven.
Matthias is not mentioned by name anywhere else in the New Testament.
Comment:
What was the holiness of Matthias? Obviously he was suited for apostleship by the experience of being with Jesus from his baptism to his ascension. He must also have been suited personally, or he would not have been nominated for so great a responsibility. Must we not remind ourselves that the fundamental holiness of Matthias was his receiving gladly the relationship with the Father offered him by Jesus and completed by the Holy Spirit? If the apostles are the foundations of our faith by their witness, they must also be reminders, if only implicitly, that holiness is entirely a matter of God’s giving, and it is offered to all, in the everyday circumstances of life. We receive, and even for this God supplies the power of freedom.
Quote:
Jesus speaks of the apostles’ function of being judges, that is, rulers. He said, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).
www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx