St. Thomas von Aquin

Beneath the shadow of a modern facade, St. Thomas von Aquin Church stands as a testament to resilience and faith. It began in 1923. Under the guidance of Father Bernhard Lichtenberg, a small chapel on Schlüterstraße became the heart of the St. Thomas von Aquin community. The community eventually found a more suitable location at Schillerstraße 101/102. This new site allowed for a proper church and community rooms. The construction concluded in 1932 with a blessing ceremony. Bishop Nikolaus Bares consecrated St. Thomas von Aquin in 1934. The architecture of the church, a high hall with an elevated altar area, reflected the architectural trends of the time. The altar originally stood against the apse wall. A pulpit graced the left side. In the early 1940s, a mosaic adorned the altar wall. This mosaic bore the inscription “o crux, ave, spes unica,” meaning “hail, O cross, our only hope.” The Second Vatican Council in 1967 ushered in liturgical changes. The high altar at St. Thomas von Aquin was moved forward. This allowed the priest to face the congregation during mass. However, it remained elevated and distant. During this renovation, a large 17th-century Spanish crucifix was moved. It was originally above a side entrance. This crucifix, a gift from Chaplain Fahsel in the 1930s, now hung over the mosaic. The tabernacle and baptismal font were placed on either side of the altar. In the 1980s, a new altar, ambo, and priest’s chair were positioned closer to the congregation. This fostered a greater sense of community. Another renovation occurred in 2015. Archbishop H. Koch reopened the church on December 13, 2015, with a celebratory pontifical mass. Since June 2000, St. Thomas von Aquin has housed the Francophone Catholic Parish of Berlin.