St. Stephanus

The church's origins date back to the 8th century, when a first hall church was erected around 785 after the Saxon Wars. Archaeological excavations in 1964 revealed three preceding structures, indicating early settlement. In the 10th or 11th century, a second, larger hall church was built, later replaced by what was likely a three-aisled new construction. The lower part of the current massive church tower dates from the 13th century and is integrated into the church interior. In 1267, a collegiate chapter was attached to the parish church, the first of its kind outside the episcopal city of Münster. This chapter was dissolved in 1811 during secularization, after which the church regained its status as a pure parish church. In 1967, it was elevated to a provost church by Bishop Joseph Höffner. Archaeological excavations between 2022 and 2024 on the former cemetery unearthed numerous burials, including stone cist graves from the 8th and 9th centuries, as well as grave goods such as floral crowns and a pilgrim's horn fragment.

St. Stephanus Church is located in the town of Beckum in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Today, St. Stephanus serves again as a parish church and is a protected architectural monument in North Rhine-Westphalia. The massive 13th-century church tower is a defining element of its Gothic architecture.

• Haus Pustekrey (castle, approx. 6466 m away)
• Haus Assen (castle, approx. 8462 m away)
• Haus Uentrop (castle, approx. 9096 m away)
• Schloss Crassenstein (castle, approx. 9229 m away)