Have you ever wondered about the meaning of your name? As you stand here before the Hellig Kors Kirkesal in Roskilde, you are looking at a building that doesn’t just serve as a place of worship but also a reminder of the connection between faith, community, and the landscape it was built upon. Its name, which means “Holy Cross Church,” reflects the importance of the Christian faith for the people it serves. But there is more to the story of this modern church than meets the eye: The Hellig Kors Kirkesal sits on a plot of land that was chosen for its unique, spiritual connection to the past.
The church may be new, having been built in 2008, but its history began centuries ago with a monastery called Eskilsø, now just a cluster of ruins south of Lilleø. The ancient church of Eskilsø was the heart of the community, its stone walls built using stones from the quarry near Roskilde Cathedral. Monks from this monastery served the village of Jyllinge, where the Hellig Kors Kirkesal now stands.
The church’s designers incorporated this history into the structure and its surrounding landscape. Within the church, look for a strip of stones in the floor – these are from the quarry at Eskilsø. This connection to the past is reinforced by the church’s location, designed to mirror the orientation of the original church in Jyllinge – a nod to the past.
On the floor of the church, there is another detail that tells a story. It starts with the stone strip from Eskilsø and leads to a glass fiber cross, symbolizing the relationship between faith, community, and the land. The stone strip itself, made from limestone, was brought in on a pilgrimage by 50 children, who sailed from the fishing harbor to the island of Eskilsø. This was done in 2006, just two years before the church opened. They brought the stones to the new church as a physical representation of this spiritual connection and a reminder of the historical significance of the place.
Standing here, it is easy to see how the Hellig Kors Kirkesal is not merely a building, but a symbol of community and faith, connecting the past to the present, and offering a place of spiritual refuge and inspiration.