Église Saint-Wendelin

Originally a simple chapel, the church in Barst was built in 1731. A chapel dedicated to St. Wendelin is mentioned for the first time in the 18th century. In 1821, Barst became an independent parish and the chapel of St. Wendelin became a church.

According to the legend Wendelin met a great lord. This extremely rich and ungodly man admonished Wendelin because he was begging for food. The nobleman said to him: "You are a young man. You can earn your own food. Come and tend my flock and earn your own bread. Wendelin felt that if he accepted this work and was paid for it, he would learn even more about this world. He accepted and set to work tending a herd of pigs. These creatures did not give him a minute's rest and no time for his prayers. He asked his master to relieve him of this task. The master, despite all his faults, respected Wendelin's wishes. He put him to work as a herdsman looking after a herd of cows. Wendelin could then devote more time to his devotions. The story goes that God blessed this herd because of Wendelin's prayers, so that it became so productive that Wendelin again found himself with little time for prayer.

The flock grew twice as fast as the other flocks of the noble lord.

Once again, Wendelin asked his master to help him. The latter entrusted him with a flock of sheep. Again Wendelin found himself with enough time for prayer.

He did not always take his sheep to the same pastures, and often he drove them far away. Moreover, he wanted to be away from other shepherds so that he could concentrate on his prayers. This is how legend has it that St. Wendelin walked on the land of Barst.

Wendelin was buried in the church of Sankt-Wendel in Saarland. As a protector of animals, the inhabitants of Barst entrusted their church to him after his visit.