ccording to the visitation records in the 14th century, Waldesch is temporarily run as a parish. Soon it loses its independence again and comes under the alternating pastoral care of the St. Kastorstift and the Carthusian monks of St. Beatus, who reside in Kapellen. The tireless requests to the episcopal authorities to regain the old parish rights remain unsuccessful for centuries. The last development to a "parish" is still in the knowledge of the generation living now. The year 1906 finally brings new impulses to the people of Waldesch to persist in their zeal for the establishment of an independent parish. On the first of May of the same year, Vicar Stephan Jakob Rech is introduced as the first pastor in the newly created vicarage. At first, Waldesch remains subordinate to Kapellen in economic matters. With vicar Johann Häbler (introduced in 1911), the vicarage achieves its independence in 1919 and is elevated to the status of a "chapel parish". After another 25 years, on 17.1.1944, the protracted negotiations and the constant efforts of the people of Waldesch reach their crowning conclusion. The elevation of the chapel parish to a parish is achieved under Vicar Paul Zimmer. By deed of 21.2.1951 finally still on the insistence of parish priest Werner Sandkaulen a long existing condition was legalized: Mariaroth and Naßheck were transferred from the parish of Dieblich to the parish of Waldesch. Looking back, it can be said about the eventful history of the parish of St. Anthony Waldesch that it is an "old" and "young" parish at the same time. - May this statement have a symbolic effect on the religious life in the parish: the old parish, like the whole Church, is always young in its active religious life. Under the parish priest Hans Lambert a comprehensive repair of the church building took place. In addition, a tender competition initiated the modernization of the church. The chancel was redesigned and the old church building was redesigned. The work was completed in 1998, after which the Catholic parish decided to convert the old nave into a community center. By installing a partition wall, the church room was reduced in size and a ceiling was added in the area of the old church, thus gaining additional space for a community center. The consecration and opening of the community center took place on 28.11.1999. A new Westenfeld organ could be installed on the newly created gallery, which was inaugurated in May 2001. The translation of the Latin document of 17.1.1944, which elevated the parish vicarage of St. Anthony in Waldesch to a parish and declared the church a parish church in honor of St. Anthony the Abbot, is located in the church room. Since 2009, the parish of St. Anthony Waldesch has belonged to the parish community of Rhens-Spay-Brey-Waldesch, whose Internet presence can be reached via the following link: www.pfarrgemeinde.info

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