Pfarrkirche Haslen

Maria Hilf (24 May)

The parish church with the tower visible from afar is the landmark of Haslen.

The interior room is one of the most atmospheric neo-Romanesque church interiors in Lnnerrhoden. The miraculous image of "Maria Hilf" in the pilgrimage church of Haslen, a copy of the Passau painting, was carried in a solemn procession from Appenzell to the then newly built church on 12 October 1649. In 1992, Erhard Ressel, an experienced restorer from Fischingen, carried out a first-class overall restoration. The stained glass windows are by an unknown artist; the gallery is made of wood; the organ comes from Späth, Rapperswil. The church has 286 seats at the bottom.

History
As early as the turn of the 16th century, there was a desire in Haslen to have its own church. On 8 October 1648, the site for the new church was determined, and on 14 April 1649 the foundation stone was laid. On 18 September, three old bells arrived from Constance, although the bell tower was not completed until 1650. On 26 October 1649, the first Holy Mass was celebrated in the church. The old church was consecrated on 10 September 1657, and in 1901 the old church was demolished and - after several changes in the plans by August Hardegger - the foundation stone for today's church was laid. On 7 June 1905, the solemn consecration of the pilgrimage church took place. In 1995/96, the interior of the church underwent a thorough restoration and was handed over to its new liturgical purpose on 1 September 1996 by the papal nuncio in Bern in a festive service with the consecration of the new people's altar. In 1973, the exterior was renovated by Hermann Schmid and in 1995/96 an interior renovation was carried out under the architects RLC; in 2004, another exterior renovation was necessary.