About us
Who we are
We are a joyful community of faith in the Diocese of Chur, rooted in the traditional Roman rite. Our parish bears the name of St. Maximilian Kolbe — priest, martyr and apostle of the Mother of God. People of every age find a spiritual home with us, where fidelity to the Catholic faith and joy in the liturgy belong together.
What is a personal parish?
United by the rite — not by where we live
A personal parish unites the faithful on the basis of shared characteristics such as liturgical rite, language or nationality (Can. 518 CIC).
Our personal parish covers the whole Canton of Zurich. The faithful from neighbouring areas are warmly welcome too. It offers a spiritual home to all who cherish the traditional Roman rite.
The parish priest provides catechetical instruction, administers the sacraments and accompanies the faithful on their way of faith. He is available for their concerns.
Parish priest
Fr. Martin Ramm FSSP
On 29 June 1996 Fr. Martin Ramm was ordained a priest for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. He has worked in Thalwil since 2001; since 2012 he has been parish priest of the Personal Parish of St. Maximilian Kolbe.
Besides his pastoral work here, he gives retreats and organises pilgrimages, marriage seminars and family holidays. He has also written several spiritual books.
FSSP
The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter
The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter is a community of priests active worldwide.
It was founded in 1988 and erected by Pope John Paul II. The focus of its mission is the formation and sanctification of priests and pastoral work in the service of the Church and for the salvation of souls.
Its particular charism is a twofold fidelity: fidelity to the Catholic faith and to the liturgical and spiritual riches of tradition, lived in steadfast fidelity to the Church and in visible communion with the hierarchy of the Church.
To train its priests, the Fraternity runs two seminaries: one in Wigratzbad in Germany and one in Denton in the USA.
Our home
Herz-Jesu, Oerlikon
Sadly, our personal parish in Zurich has no church of its own. All the greater is our gratitude for the generous hospitality the parish of Herz-Jesu in Zurich-Oerlikon has offered us for many decades.
The Herz-Jesu (Sacred Heart) Church was first blessed in 1892 and enlarged several times over the years. Its present appearance dates from the last renovation in 2003. The stained-glass windows by the artist August Wanner (1946) are especially striking: in the choir, those at the sides show scenes from the Old and New Testaments, while a magnificent Sacred Heart window stands at the centre. The windows of the nave are dedicated to various saints.
With the blessing of Bishop Johannes Vonderach, the first Holy Mass in the traditional Roman rite was celebrated here on the First Sunday of Advent, 28 November 1971. At first the services were held under the responsibility of the UNA VOCE association.
On 1 August 1996 the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter came to Zurich. Since 1 April 1998 its priests have lived in Thalwil. On 22 February 2012 Bishop Vitus Huonder erected the ‘Personalpfarrei Hl. Maximilian Kolbe’ (Personal Parish of St. Maximilian Kolbe) for the Canton of Zurich, with its seat in Thalwil, and appointed Fr. Martin Ramm FSSP as its first parish priest.
Getting here
Herz-Jesu Church, Oerlikon
Schwamendingenstrasse 55, 8050 Zürich