Mainz cathedral is center of community

By CRISTINA MAS
School of Communication
University of Miami

MAINZ , Germany— Mainz Dom, also known as St. Martin Cathedral, is one of the most popular sites to visit here.

Located in the center of the old town, right next to the Guttenberg Museum, lies this magnificent structure that has lasted throughout fires, wars and other threats.

The Mainz Dom, known to residents as St. Martin Cathedral, rises above the central part of the city (Staff photo).

St. Martin Cathedral was founded between 975 and 1011 A.D. Mainz had become one of the biggest Catholic empires. Archbishop Willing was responsible for the creation of the cathedral.

St. Martin utilizes Romanesque style and has high ceilings. Throughout the centuries, other styles were introduced. In some parts of the church, you will see a Romanesque style and, in others, more of a Gothic style.

St. Godehard Chapel is an important chapel because it dates back to 1070 and the Crucifix that lies in the center is very old.

When one glimpses out the crucifix, you will see Christ’s eyes open. This often surprises the viewer because most crucifixes portray Jesus with His eyes closed.

The chapel is a quiet place used only for prayer. Today, many tourist groups do not pay attention to the sign that says in big gold letters, “Please be quiet, used for prayer only.”

Many kings were crowned in the cathedral, which makes it so special to Germans. Kings such as Henry II, Conrad II, and Fredrick the II became king in this massive architectural structure.

Bishops rest in a crypt located in the western end of the tower. Before the crypt was built, the bishops were buried in the floor and the stone that closed the grave was decorated in sculptural depictions.

Most of the sculptures that lie in the cathedral illustrate influential bishops throughout history. There is also sculpture of one of the Bishop Uriel von Gemmingen praying to Christ on the cross. Most of these sculptures are in stone, reflecting the Gothic style of the period during which they were created.

Crowds fill the square around the cathedral at Christmas time each year for the annual holiday festival (Staff photo).

Another monument visitors will find remembers Archbishop von Aspelt, who is shown crowning the kings who are significantly smaller than him.

It shows whose the most important and with most authority, which is the archbishop himself.

There is an altar, which is made of wood carving. On the top is St. Martin riding his horse while angels surround him. In the middle is a coat of arms, which is of Cardinal Karl Lehmann.

The elaborate wood altar, which shows a scene in history, is definitely worth taking a picture.

You will also find in the cathedral a sculptural depiction of the Entombment of Christ. There are guards sleeping while Mary, along with another woman, is weeping over Jesus’ body.

There are also two disciples on each side of Jesus crying. This sculpture grasps the attention of visitors passing by. It brings forth a solemn feeling one of reflecting and praying.

To work at the cathedral, one must be Catholic. You have to sign a written contract that you obey the Catholic faith and abide by it. The staff that works at the cathedral is provided housing outside the surrounding areas.

As one walks around the area, you can see tour groups walking. People are cleaning chapel rooms for mass. It is usually an active place especially during the summer time.

Since most people are on vacation during the summer, the cathedral becomes crowded and hectic. May is busiest month bringing visitors from all over the world to see this over 1,000-year-old cathedral.

The cathedral towers over the Old Town square (Staff photo).

Roger, who is a maintenance man for the church but would not provide his full name, usually cleans its grounds.

He said he can’t decide what would be his favorite time of the year for working in this extraordinary place.

“I love the winter because you can look through the windows and see the snow. I love the summer because the sun shines through the window and on to the church and it reminds me of God because of the light.”

The bishop who is in charge of the church is Bishop Wolfgang Rolly. He is very nice man, according to Roger, and very loving to the people of Mainz.

“He always has something very loving to say to his people,” Roger noted.

Just to see the cathedral from outside is breathtaking. To walk inside and see the light shining through St. Martin’s windows reminds you that God is always around us by the beauty of the Earth.

St. Martin’s Cathedral is definitely one of the most important places to visit in Mainz.

Scaffolding covers one side of the church during renovations in winter 2003-04 (Staff photo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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