independent Protestant parishes and churches exist in both boroughs. Mergelstetten was at first a branch of Bolheim, but became its own parish in 1700. Today's church was built in 1843 to replace one that had burnt to the ground two years earlier. The church of Schnaitheim had been newly constructed in the 17th century, although the town already owned a church (first mentioned in 1344). Oggenhausen at first belonged to the parish of Zöschingen and remained Catholic. But during the 17th century here too Protestantism won out. Later the town became part of the parish in Nattheim until it became a parish of its own in 1834. The village church was built in 1702 to replace an earlier chapel. Großkuchen remained Catholic because ecumenically it belonged to Öttingen and because the Benedictine Abbey at Neresheim owned the right to use the village church. The few Protestants who by now have moved in are attached to the parish in Schnaitheim. All Protestant parishes within city limits belong to the Deanony of Heidenheim within the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg. Finally, pietist parishes are also represented in Heidenheim. Catholics only reemerged in Heidenheim during the 19th century. In 1882 they got their own church when the Church of St. Mary was built. The corresponding parish was founded in 1886. A second church, Trinity Church, was built in 1961 and became a parish in 1962. Mergelstetten got Christking Church in 1957 which was later elevated to a parish in 1961. These three parishes form what is today Ministry 3 of the Deacony Heidenheim within the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. In Schnaitheim, St. Boniface Church was built in 1951 (parish in 1961). The Church of Saint Peter and Paul in Großkuchen had been built back in 1736 on the foundation of an older church. Part of the parish is also Kleinkuchen but it has its own church of Saint Ulrich (built in 1517 and then rebuilt in 1746). Both parishes (St Boniface and St. Peter and Paul) together with the neighbouring parish of Mary's Ascension in Königsbronn form the Ministry 2. Catholics from Oggenhausen belong to the Holy Heart of Jesus parish in Nattheim (Ministry 1), also part of the Deacony of Heidenheim. In addition to the two larger denominations, residents have the choice of independent churches and parishes such as the Methodist Church, The Evangelical Immanuel Parish, the Evangelical Chrischona-Community and others. The New Apostolic