St. Martin, Idstein

St. Martin is the name of a Catholic parish and church in Idstein, Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, Germany. The official name of the church is Katholische Pfarrkirche. The name of the parish became on 1 January 2017 St. Martin Idsteiner Land, when it was merged with five other parishes. The parish is part of the Diocese of Limburg.St. Martin is the patron saint of Idstein, to whom a Gothic church was dedicated in 1330. The present building designed by architect Johannes Krahn was consecrated in 1965. It replaced a church built in 1888 in Gothic revival style and dedicated to Mary Magdalene which was too small for the congregation growing after World War II.After restoration in 2003, a new organ was installed in 2006. Church music in services and concerts, performed by several groups including children's choir and ensembles on historic instruments, have received attention in the Rhein-Main Region. The parish is in long-term ecumenical contact with the main Protestant church of the town, which includes two regular ecumenical services and concerts performed by joint groups of both churches.History of the parish St. MartinThe beginning of Christianity in Idstein is not documented. When the Idstein Castle was first mentioned in 1102, the area belonged to the Diocese of Trier. Idstein possibly had a church in Romanesque style which was replaced in 1330 by a Gothic church dedicated to St. Martin, the patron saint of Idstein. It was the church of a Chorherrenstift founded in 1333 for six canons, and became the Protestant church with the Reformation, named in 1917.