Bavarian villagers build ice church

Residents of a small Bavarian town have built a church out of ice and snow on the same spot where another ice church was constructed 100 years ago by villagers looking for a place to worship.

The temporary ice church, dubbed "God's Igloo" by one German newspaper, was blessed by a Catholic priest Wednesday night, Spiegel International Online reports.

Residents had hoped to open the $200,000 church in time for Christmas, but were hampered by unseasonably warm weather and a lack of snow.

The first ice church was built by mountain villagers who had to travel 90 minutes to a neighboring town to celebrate Mass. When the town officials rejected their pleas for their own church, they built one out of snow and ice instead.

The ice church is 65 feet long, 33 feet wide and includes a 57-foot tower, Spiegel reports. It can seat 190 people.

The religious radio station Münchner Kirchenradio reports that worship services can be held in the church, but that the Catholic bishop of Passau has ruled out any Masses, baptism or weddings there for theological reasons, Spiegel says.

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