The All Souls Brotherhood Chapel of St. Laurentius in Vilshofen, Germany

Located in the beautiful Bavarian region of Germany is a chapel of the All Souls Brotherhood (Allerseelen-Bruderschaften), a confraternity dedicated to praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The chapel is part of an interesting and somewhat complicated complex of ecclesiastical buildings all tied to the main parish church of St. Michael's (Pfarrkirche St. Michael) which is located as a separate building adjacent to this chapel -- which is itself dedicated to the Roman martyr, St. Lawrence. 

The chapel of St. Lawrence finds its origins tracing back to the fourteenth century, with additions and changes happening in the centuries that followed. (Currently the interior decoration of the church is of eighteenth century vintage for example, while there are some other, structural changes that date to the fifteenth century). 

The chapel of St. Lawrence, seen on the left. To the right, St. Michael's, the parish church.

This particular chapel was built over an ossuary (or charnel house) where the bones of the deceased were kept after being exhumed from the graveyard (due to space needs). In point of fact, not only is there a door entering this lower section of the structure, in front of the altar we can find an opening -- called a "souls' hole" that has been set into the floor, symbolically connecting the remains in the ossuary to the chapel properl specifically to the altar where the Mass is offered for the Holy Souls.  This symbolic aperture is shown with a figure of justice holding scales surrounded by the Latin text, "Domine commendamus animus fidelium tibi" (O Lord we commend to you the souls of the faithful). 

The Souls' Hole

On entering the chapel what one is particularly struck by though is the impressive altar with its frescoed sanctuary wall, which portray a curtain being pulled back by cherubs, but which also happens to echo the orange and red colours of the purifying flames of purgatory.  

Noted by many for its rich acanthus decorations, the face of the altar proper contains an image of the holy angels offering relief to the souls in purgatory, as well as striking memento mori image of a crowned skull.

Above this we find the altarpiece, dated to approximately 1720, which depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary with the chapel's patron, St. Lawrence, interceding on behalf of the Holy Souls to the Holy Trinity.

Around the walls of chapel are a cycle of paintings depicting the Poor Souls in Purgatory being purified by grace, the Mass, intercessory prayers and good works. 

In addition to these, the chapel is also filled with various images and sculptures taken from the life, Passion and Death of Christ, while also sharing with us a vision of the communion of saints, the ultimate objective and goal of any faithful Christian and the final destination to which the Holy Souls can look forward to one day. 

Christ's scourging

Photo Credits: Eugen Thumann

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