Maria Larch Pilgrimage Church

It was Magdalena Bogner, a farmer’s wife from the Spieltenner Farmstead in Schlögelsbach who set the ball rolling. Every time she set off for the village of Terfens she felt drawn to a specific larch tree where she prayed. When she told her story to the hermit of St. Martin in Gnadenwald, Johann Weiss, in 1665, he made a clay statue of the Virgin Mary for her to attach to the tree. She took the precious gift home and her husband placed it in a niche next to the larch tree. A small canopy protected the statue from the rain and a small block of wood was laid down on the ground, making it more comfortable for people to kneel and pray. More and more people came to Maria-Lärch to pray to God. A timber chapel was soon erected, which was replaced by a stone building not long after. The building was enlarged in 1718. Joseph II abolished pilgrimages and the sacred statue was taken to Terfens. In 1796 the chapel was re-opened and the statue reinstalled. The pilgrimage church was renovated in the early 1990s and has become quite well known in the German-speaking region.

Magdalena Bogner, farmer's wife of the Spieltennerhof in Schlögelsbach was the initiator. On her way to Terfens, she always felt drawn to a particular larch and prayed there. When she informed the benefactor of St. Martin in Gnadenwald, Johann Weiß, of this in 1665, he himself made a statue of the Virgin Mary out of clay, which she was to attach to this larch. She brought the honourable gift home and her husband placed it in a niche near the designated larch tree. A narrow roof protected the image from falling rain and a narrow block was placed on the ground so that people could kneel more comfortably while praying.

Soon other people were also worshipping at Maria-Lärch. Shortly afterwards, a wooden chapel was built, which was replaced by a stone one only a few years later. This was enlarged in 1718. From 1724, a hermitage was also connected to the little church. Joseph ll. abolished the pilgrimage and the object of worship came to Terfens. The chapel was reopened in 1796 with Mary brought back. At the beginning of the 1990s, the little pilgrimage church was restored and has become very well known in German-speaking countries.

The place of power consists of an ensemble of three buildings: the pilgrimage church, the adjacent well house with the healing spring and the small apparition chapel a little further west - this is where the larch is said to have once stood.

Apparition Chapel:
The Apparition Chapel is a plain 19th century building with a round-arched opening and groined vault, and a wrought-iron gate. The chapel is not, as erroneously assumed, the site of the apparition.
After the miraculous healing of Maria Jenewein and the apparition of Our Lady at the larch tree, it had become customary for pilgrims to take splinters of wood from the apparition tree near the church and, when it had been removed for safety reasons, from the surrounding larch trees. The wood splinters were considered a popular, lucky amulet. Around 1719, Christoph Weinhart, the owner of the forest above the Apparition Chapel, had iron rails hammered around the trunk of a larch tree along the path, which had also been sawn down by pilgrims, and had a field chapel built. The oil painting in the chapel shows the incident with Maria Jenewein as she herself described it to the painter.

Well house:
Directly on the path to the south-east below the Chapel of Grace stands the so-called "water chapel", a building from around 1720, with stuccoed fruit garlands inside. The fountain bowl made of red Hagau marble also dates from the time of construction. The statue of St. Florian was stolen years ago, but was recovered and has since been replaced by a copy.
The dextrorotatory water that flows from the fountain in the water chapel is said to have healing powers that have not yet been scientifically proven. Nevertheless, numerous believers from near and far regularly fetch the "healing" water.

Pilgrimage church:
It is not only the water that speaks for this place of power: Prof. Jörg Purner, a radiesthesist (radiesthesia is the ability of people to perceive earth rays with the help of pendulums and other means), has determined an energy field for the interior of the church that radiates a special uplifting energy, which has a positive effect on the person who enters the chapel. It is an undisputed fact that places of pilgrimage have often arisen in places that were already chosen by our pagan ancestors as special places for their cultic acts.

Way of Reflection:
On 22 October 2000, in the presence of former Bishop Dr. Reinhold Stecher, the "path of contemplation" to Maria Larch was inaugurated. It leads from the parish church via the Schmiedwegl and the old Larchweg to the place of pilgrimage and its stations were designed by local artisans.

Since 1718, when the deaf-mute girl Maria Jenewein was cured of her suffering by the dextrorotatory water, countless people have made the pilgrimage to Maria Larch to fill canisters, bottles and other containers with this special drinking water. Pilgrims even find their way to this place of power from Italy and Bavaria. In addition to the healing effect on the human organism, there are many other myths surrounding this special water. Flowers are said to last longer with it, pond water no longer gets algae. Even after many hours and days, Maria Larch water does not taste stale, which is why many campers fill up their water supplies there before starting their holidays. However, it has not been scientifically proven.

Even more miracles
There is also a report of a child who had been to the doctor all the time because of open feet, but there was no improvement. Until he bathed in the water of Maria Larch and became healthy. Or the pain-stricken man who had sat down on a bench in front of the fountain in front of the queue of people and the pain in his legs had improved after a short time. Whereupon he had then fetched water regularly and at some point had been free of complaints.

It is irrelevant whether the water actually has a healing effect or whether faith alone is involved in these miracles: it is undisputed that a special aura emanates from Maria Larch and its healing spring. The many votive tablets and pictures bear witness to this or are listed in the miracle book kept in the Terfens parish archives.
Even when the chapel was closed as a result of the Josephine reforms and the miraculous image was transferred to the Terfens parish church, the faithful continued to pray to Our Lady. Instead of the image of grace, an image of Mary Help of Christians was placed in the chapel. After the death of Emperor Joseph in 1790, all reforms were reversed and the place of pilgrimage was ceremoniously reopened in 1796. About a hundred years later, the image of mercy was also transferred back to Maria Larch.

Maria Larch is particularly popular for romantic weddings, baptisms or wedding anniversaries.

From the beginning of May to the end of October, a Holy Mass is held every Thursday at 7 pm. A Corpus Christi procession leads to Maria Larch every year in early summer.