A sanctuary amidst city streets calls to us. Here at the crossing of Schleißheimer Straße stands St. Sebastian. This Catholic parish church is part of the Innenstadt deanery. It anchors the “Am Luitpoldpark” parish association since 2014 with Maria vom Guten Rat.
St. Sebastian serves a large community. It is the largest parish in the Munich Innenstadt deanery with 8892 registered Catholics. It is also the fourth-largest parish in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. The Hauskapelle in Altenheim St. Willibrord serves as a subsidiary church.
Let’s step back in time. Plans emerged as early as 1905. The goal was to create a new parish in Schwabing and relieve St. Ursula. The cornerstone for St. Sebastian was laid on December 9 1928. Eduard Herbert and Otho Orlando Kurz designed it in the New Objectivity style. Today, the church enjoys protected monument status. The surrounding residential buildings along Karl-Theodor-Straße are also protected.
Archbishop Michael Cardinal Faulhaber consecrated St. Sebastian on November 10 1929. Otto Breiter was the first priest. He served from 1928 until his death in 1954.
War left its mark. On July 11 1944, an air raid narrowly missed St. Sebastian. Phosphorous canisters and incendiary bombs struck nearby. One canister hit the left aisle. But on July 31 1944, incendiary bombs nearly destroyed the church. Reconstruction took place until 1949 with a simplified design.
Hear the bells ring. The tower houses a four-part cast steel bell from Bochumer Verein. They were installed in 1955. Their sequence is C sharp1, E1, F sharp1, and A1.
The church interior was renovated in 1964. It received a new design. In the 1970s, St. Sebastian boasted the largest parish youth group in the Archdiocese. Today the parish has four choirs: Zwergerlchor, Kinderchor, Patchworkchor and the SebastiansChor München.
A parish hall came later. After fifty years, St. Sebastian finally acquired its own parish center. Architects Beck, Enz, and Yelin designed it. A connecting structure links the church and parish house. It provides a hall and functional rooms for group work.
Note the 1987 organ. Georg Jann built it. It boasts 35 registers on three manuals and pedals. A generous donation enabled its construction. After years of planning, the organ was consecrated on December 20 1987.
Since December 2014, St. Sebastian and Maria vom Guten Rat collaborate closely. This deepens and optimizes the work of both parishes. While youth and ministry work remain separate, occasional joint events enrich the parish association. The “Am Luitpoldpark” parish association is home to approximately 15200 Catholics. St. Sebastian has about 8800 Catholics. It holds the leading position in the parish association.
Today St. Sebastian stands as a testament to faith. It is a beacon of community, art and music. It overcame war and change. Its doors remain open. St. Sebastian continues to serve.