Parish church in Katsdorf

The Catholic branch church of St Vitus stands in the village of Katsdorf in Upper Austria. It occupies a quiet spot near the main square, surrounded by farmland and gentle hills. The building has stood here since the 17th century, though earlier wooden and late-Gothic churches once occupied the same ground. The church is worth visiting for its long history and the craftsmanship preserved inside. The present early-baroque structure was raised in 1645 after an earlier church was destroyed by fire. In 1838 lightning struck again, gutting the interior; repairs introduced neorenaissance decoration and new stained glass by Carl Geyling’s heirs. The four modern windows by Gabriele Berger and Josef Raukamp show the church’s four core tasks. Inside, the visitor finds a plain rectangular nave with a narrow west tower. The choir at the far end is Gothic, its ribs springing from sturdy wall shafts. A two-storey west gallery rests on granite columns with basket arches. The high altar and side furnishings were removed after the Second Vatican Council, leaving a simple altar and ambo. Above the altar hangs a baroque painting of the martyrdom of St Vitus, installed in 1983.