Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Basilica of the Fourteen Saints
Basilika Vierzehnheiligen
The Basilica of the Fourteen Saints
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Location	Bad Staffelstein
Country	Germany
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Dedication	Fourteen Holy Helpers
Architecture
Architect(s)	Balthasar Neumann
Style	late Baroque-Rococo
Years built	1743-72

The Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (its German name is Basilika Vierzehnheiligen) is a famous church in southern Germany. You can find it near the town of Bad Staffelstein in Bavaria. This beautiful church was built between 1743 and 1772. It was designed by a well-known architect named Balthasar Neumann. The church has a special style called late Baroque or Rococo. It is dedicated to the Fourteen Holy Helpers, who are a group of saints. Many people prayed to these saints during tough times, like the Black Death. People sometimes call the inside of the church "God's Ballroom" because it is so grand.

Where is the Basilica Located?
The Legend of the Fourteen Holy Helpers
How the Basilica Was Built
The Mercy Altar of the Vierzehnheiligen
The High Altar of Vierzehnheiligen
The Pulpit
Gallery
See also

Where is the Basilica Located?

The Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers

The Basilica sits on a hillside overlooking the Main River in an area called Franconia. On the hill across from it is Schloss Banz, which used to be a Baroque monastery. These two buildings together are known as the Goldene Pforte, or "golden portal". They act like a grand entrance to old Franconian towns such as Coburg, Kronach, Kulmbach, and Bayreuth.

The Legend of the Fourteen Holy Helpers

The story of the Basilica began on September 24, 1445. A young shepherd named Hermann Leicht was in a field near a monastery. He saw a crying child. When he tried to pick up the child, it vanished!

A little while later, the child appeared again in the same spot. This time, two glowing candles floated with it. Hermann told the monks about what he saw. The next summer, he saw the child a third time. This time, the child had a red cross on its chest. Fourteen other figures were with the child. The child told Hermann that they were the "fourteen helpers." They would help people if a chapel was built for them. The two candles floated down, and the vision disappeared. After this, amazing healing miracles started happening.

Just 18 days after the third vision, a very sick maid from Langheim got well. She had asked the Fourteen Holy Helpers for help. The monks at Langheim Abbey had been unsure about the visions before. But after this miracle, they believed. Soon, people started making pilgrimages (special journeys) to this holy spot.

The altar shows the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

This diagram shows the church's floor plan, with ovals and circles meeting rectangles.

The monks who owned the land built a small chapel. Many pilgrims came right away. An altar was blessed there in 1448. People still make pilgrimages to Vierzehnheiligen today, usually between May and October.

How the Basilica Was Built

The church you see today was built from 1743 to 1772. Its inside looks very special, in the Rococo style. This is because something unusual happened during its construction. The monks at Langheim Abbey wanted to save money. So, they changed the building plans after the first stone was already laid.

The architect, Neumann, found out about this later. By then, the walls for the three rounded sections (apses) were already up. This meant the special Altar of Grace, where the visions happened, would not be in the middle of the church as planned. It would be off to the side. Neumann couldn't move the altar. So, he came up with a clever solution. He divided the church's main space into three oval shapes. He made the Altar of Grace the center of the largest oval in the middle. Four columns surround it on each side. This made the altar the true heart of the church again.

The Mercy Altar of the Vierzehnheiligen

The Mercy Altar (Gnadenaltar)

The Mercy Altar, also called the Gnadenaltar, is the exact spot where the Fourteen Holy Helpers appeared. Fourteen statues of saints decorate this altar. Here are some of them:

On the lower railing (balustrade):
- Blaise (February 3): He was a bishop. People pray to him for help with throat illnesses.
- Cyriacus (August 8): He was a deacon. People ask for his help against temptation when they are dying.
- Denis (October 9): He was a bishop. People pray to him for relief from headaches.
- Erasmus (June 2): He was a bishop. People ask for his help with stomach problems.

St Blaise wears a mitre and holds a staff and crossed candles.
St Cyriacus holds the palm of martyrdom.
St Denis is shown after being beheaded.
St Erasmus wears a mitre and holds a staff.

In the altar's special spots (niches):
- Barbara (December 4): She was a virgin. People pray to her to avoid fever and sudden death.
- Catherine of Alexandria (November 25): She was a virgin. People ask for her help to avoid sudden death.

St Barbara holds the Host and Chalice.
St Catherine holds a sword and the palm of martyrdom.

On the supporting parts (buttresses):
- Agathius (May 8): He was a martyr. People pray to him for help with headaches.
- Christopher (July 25): He was a martyr. People ask for his help against the bubonic plague.
- Eustachius (September 20): He was a martyr. People pray to him to help with family arguments.
- Giles (September 1): He was a hermit. People ask for his help against plague and for a good confession.

St Agathius wears centurion armor and holds a cross.
St Christopher carries a stick and the Christ Child.
St Eustace holds a stag with a crucifix between its antlers.
St Giles holds a staff and comforts his arrow-shot deer.

On top of the canopy (baldachin):
- George (April 23): He was a soldier. People pray to him for the health of farm animals.
- Margaret of Antioch (July 20): She was a virgin. People ask for her help during childbirth.
- Pantaleon (July 27): He was a bishop. People pray to him for physicians.
- Vitus (June 15): He was a martyr. People ask for his help against epilepsy.

St George wears crusader plate armour and holds a lance.
St Margaret wears a crown and holds a cross and a dragon.
St Pantaleon.

The High Altar of Vierzehnheiligen

Illuminated high altar.

The main part of the tall High Altar is a large painting. It shows the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is when Mary was taken up to heaven. Statues of her husband Joseph, her father Joachim, and the biblical figures David and Zachariah are also there.

The Pulpit

The pulpit is a special platform where sermons are given. It is held up by white, floating statues of little angels called putti. The pulpit is decorated with golden pictures of the Evangelists, who wrote parts of the Bible. These pictures are surrounded by shell-like designs. The top part of the pulpit, called the sound board, looks like a sphere with rays of light.