Burgkapelle Gossam
Ruins
Description
From stillborns to “miracle” baptisms
Only ruins remain of the once proud Gossam castle, dating from the eleventh century. Until 1994, steps had been taken to stop further deterioration, and the castle chapel has fared much better than the rest. Having fallen into disrepair by the fourteenth century, the castle nevertheless gained somewhat of a status as a pilgrimage site in honour of St Pancras.
The popularity of this pilgrimage declined during the Reformation, but the chapel continued conducting religious services until 1780. This is the period to which the approximately 30 graves of stillborn infants or deceased children have been dated. According to Catholic teachings, their souls would remain in limbo, barred from heaven’s gates. To shield them from the devil’s clutches, the children were buried in the grounds of the church. If a baptism coincided with rain, the rainwater was deemed to be holy and every child was automatically baptised.
Did you know?
The sixteenth century saw a proliferation of “miracle baptisms”. Parents would take their perished child on a pilgrimage to undergo a a “resurrection”, so that the infant could be baptised.
