St. Marien is a small church. Consecrated in October 1949, the church was for many years the central place of worship for all Catholics of the small district of Sporkenheim in Ingelheim. Over the decades, the central worship activities increasingly shifted to the rest of the town, so that now only a service is celebrated here every two weeks on Friday evenings. Nevertheless, the church remains a focal point of the place. It is small but fine, and especially for people who pass by on walks, bike tours, or hikes, it offers space for personal prayer, reflection, and contemplation.
The idea of turning St. Marien into a media church came from an engaged family from Sporkenheim. While on vacation, the family experienced a media church elsewhere in Germany and was excited about the format – thus, an idea was born, and the implementation followed over the course of about 18 months. The outfitting of St. Marien as a media church was made possible by financial support from the Diocese of Mainz through the Innovation Fund. As an innovative project, the rest area for the soul was awarded and selected as a sponsored project.
From the outside, St. Marien in Sporkenheim looks like a completely normal village church, but inside there is a surprise. Texts, bright colors, music, and for those who like, even all together – St. Marien is a media church. With a panel directly at the entrance, the lighting and music in the church space can be controlled by the visitors themselves. A special experience that can be individually adjusted.
