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Parish News | Tuesday, February 09, 2016

Stories in stained glass

St. Henry: A hidden gem in north Broward County

POMPANO BEACH | St. Henry Church is named after Henry II, a medieval Bavarian king who became head of the Holy Roman Empire.

Born in 973 to Henry the Duke of Bavaria, Germany, and his wife Gisela of Burgundy, Henry succeeded his father as duke in 995. He became king of Germany after the death of his second-cousin Emperor Otto III in 1002. After putting down several claimants to papal lands, Henry was crowned king of Italy two years later.

During this time, Henry established the See of Bamberg, as a center for missions to Slavic lands. He also supported the reforms initiated by the monks of Cluny in France.

Pope Benedict VIII crowned him Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1014.  Six years later, Benedict consecrated the Cathedral of Bamberg, which Henry built.

As Holy Roman Emperor, Henry fought several campaigns, driving Byzantine and Saracen forces out of southern Italy. However, he was noted for his comparative moderation in wartime and his quickness to forgive injuries.

King Henry and his wife, Cunegunda, had no children, and he lived a quasi-monastic life. Known as a man of prayer and meditation, Henry is said to have been one of the most "Christian" kings of the West. He also used clergy as a counter-weight against secular royalty.

He died near Gottingen, Germany, in 1024, and was buried at the Cathedral of Bamberg where his saintly wife was also buried. Pope Eugene III proclaimed him a saint in 1146, making him the only German monarch ever canonized. His feast day is July 13.

St. Henry parish began life worshiping at the Northeast High School auditorium and the Pompano Race Track; then, to shorten travel times, the congregation rented three warehouses. After years of fundraising, the church dedicated a structure in 1974.

Parishioners serve people in hospitals, jails and nursing homes. They also hold seasonal shows at their own auditorium each winter and spring. They even have a membership pub, dubbed Henry's Hideaway.

  

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