christ catholic church with rectory and parish barn

The Christ Catholic Church with rectory and parish barn in Magden is a listed heritage group on a hillside terrace above the village of Magden, in the Swiss canton of Aargau. The church of St. Martin, the rectory and the former barn stand side by side on Kirchweg, and the cantonal heritage inventory describes them as a group that shapes the look of the village.

What kind of church is this?

The church belongs to the Christ Catholic (Old Catholic, German: christkatholisch) Church of Switzerland, which broke from Rome over the doctrine of papal infallibility. Magden's parish switched to this denomination in 1872. It is not the Roman Catholic church of the village, which is a separate building from the 1960s.

The ensemble consists of three buildings:

• the church (Kirchweg): nave and choir rebuilt in 1620, around a bell tower dating from 1370/71;
• the rectory (Kirchweg 17): built in 1740 for the abbess of Olsberg convent;
• the parish barn (Kirchweg 19): built in 1759, now a parish hall.

What will you see?

The church sits in an intact churchyard, and its late medieval tower is a landmark visible across the village. Inside, look for the classicist stucco of 1811/1813 and the Rococo altars. In 1811 the church received three altars from the dissolved Capuchin monastery in Rheinfelden.

The first written record of the church dates to 1036. The dedication to St. Martin points to Frankish origins. Patronage passed from Count Ulrich I of Lenzburg to the collegiate chapter of Beromünster in 1036, and to Olsberg convent in 1351. Olsberg also shaped the other buildings: the 1759 barn cost 930 Rhenish guilders plus grain, and the convent agreed to supply oak timber.

In 1969 the barn was converted into a parish hall, and its exterior and interior were restored in 1993/94. The former wash house and woodshed became a mortuary chapel.

How is it protected?

The church has been under cantonal protection since 1963 and federal protection since 1984. Aargau's heritage inventory rates it as a building of regional importance (category B) with full protection. Work on the church took place in 1912, 1953, 1963/64 and 1972/73, with the tower restored in 2000 and the nave and choir in 2002/03.

How to visit

The group lies at the edge of the village on Kirchweg, so it fits well into a walk through Magden. The rectory and barn are in parish use rather than open as museums, so you view them from outside. Access to the church depends on the parish's opening times, so check with the parish or the municipality before you go.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a Roman Catholic church? No. It is Christ Catholic (Old Catholic); the parish adopted this denomination in 1872.

How old is the church? The current nave and choir date from 1620, the tower from 1370/71, and the first record of the church from 1036.

Can I go inside the rectory and barn? Both are working parish buildings, and the barn serves as a parish hall, so visitors usually see them from outside.

Is the group protected? Yes. The church has had cantonal protection since 1963 and federal protection since 1984.