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Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

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Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (French, ) or (Dutch, ), often simply called Molenbeek, is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, from which it is separated b ...

Brussels-Capital Region Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, previous denomination = , churchmanship = , membership = , attendance = , website = , former name = , bull date = , founded date = , founder = , dedication =

Saint John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

(

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of Molenbeek) , dedicated date = , consecrated date = , cult = , relics = , events = , past bishop = , people = , status =

Parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

, functional status = Active , heritage designation = Protected , designated date = 29/02/1984 , architect = Joseph Diongre , architectural type =

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

, style =

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

, years built = , groundbreaking = 1930 , completed date = 1932 , construction cost = , closed date = , demolished date = , capacity = , length = , length nave = , width = , width nave = , height = , diameter = , other dimensions = , floor count = , floor area = , dome quantity = , dome height outer = , dome height inner = , dome dia outer = , dome dia inner = , tower quantity = 1 , tower height = , spire quantity = , spire height = , materials = Reinforced concrete , bells = , bells hung = , bell weight = , parish = , deanery = , archdeaconry = , episcopalarea = , archdiocese = Mechelen–Brussels , metropolis = , diocese = , province = , presbytery = , synod = , circuit = , district = , division = , subdivision = , archbishop =

Jozef De Kesel Jozef De Kesel (born 17 June 1947) is a Belgian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been a cardinal since 2016 and Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels since 2015. He served as Bishop of Bruges from 2010 to 2015. Early life De Kesel was b ...

(

Primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter including ...

of Belgium) , bishop = , abbot = , prior = , subprior = , vicar = , exarch = , provost-rector = , provost = , viceprovost = , rector = , dean = , subdean = , archpriest = , precentor = , succentor = , chancellor = , canonchancellor = , canon = , canonpastor = , canonmissioner = , canontreasurer = , prebendary = , priestincharge = , priest = , asstpriest = , honpriest = , curate = , asstcurate = , minister = , assistant = , seniorpastor = , pastor = , chaplain = , archdeacon = , deacon = , reader = , student intern = , organistdom = , director = , organist = , organscholar = , chapterclerk = , laychapter = , warden = , verger = , businessmgr = , liturgycoord = , reledu = , rcia = , youthmin = , flowerguild = , musicgroup = , parishadmin = , serversguild = , logo = , logosize = , logolink = , logoalt = , embedded = , imagelink = , landscape = , deaconness = , elder = The Church of St. John the Baptist (french: Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste, nl, Sint-Jan-de-Doperkerk) is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

located in the centre of

, a municipality of

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, Belgium. It is dedicated to

, the

of Molenbeek. Designed by the architect and built between 1930 and 1932 in

style, it is one of three major churches in Brussels made of reinforced concrete (the other two are the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in

Koekelberg Koekelberg (, ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the north-western part of the region, it is bordered by Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Ganshoren, Jette and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. In common with all ...

and the Church of St. Augustine in

Forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

). Belonging to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels, the church and the Catholic parish it belongs to gave their name to the municipality. The building received protected status on 29 February 1984. The church is located on the northern side of the /, not far from the / (the municipal square of Molenbeek). This site is served by Comte de Flandre/Graaf van Vlaanderen metro station on line 5 of the

Brussels Metro The Brussels Metro (french: Métro de Bruxelles, nl, Brusselse metro) is a rapid transit system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It consists of four conventional metro lines and three ''premetro'' lines. The me ...

History

Medieval church

As early as the 9th century, Molenbeek was the site of a church dedicated to

, following a bequest from

Saint Gertrude of Nivelles Gertrude of Nivelles, OSB (also spelled ''Geretrude'', ''Geretrudis'', ''Gertrud''; c. 628 – 17 March 659) was a seventh-century abbess who, with her mother Itta, founded the Abbey of Nivelles, now in Belgium. Life Family and childhood The ea ...

, the mythical founder of

Nivelles Abbey The Abbey of Nivelles, is a former Imperial Abbey of the Holy Roman Empire founded in 640. It is located in Wallonia in the town of Nivelles in Province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium. Foundation The abbey was founded by Itta of Metz, the widow of ...

, whose statue adorns the

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building wi ...

of the current building. There were successive buildings whose chronology and locations are not clearly determined. The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

itself, whose boundaries were much greater than today, reaching as far as the river

Senne Senne may refer to: Places * Senne (Germany), a natural region of Germany *Senne, a district of Bielefeld, Germany * Senne (river), a river of Belgium *Senné (disambiguation), places in Slovakia People with the name *Yōkō Senne, a 13th-centur ...

, seems to predate the 9th century, and from the end of the 12th century, also included a chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine which, separated from the village by Brussels' city walls, gradually became the current Church of St. Catherine in the / neighbourhood of Brussels. Saint John’s Dancers in Molenbeeck’ (1592) by Pieter Brueghel II

Saint John’s Dancers in Molenbeeck’ (1592) by Pieter Brueghel II

The parish of Molenbeek depended on the chapter of the Collegiate Church of St. Michael and St. Gudula (now a cathedral) in Brussels. This is confirmed in a papal bull by Pope Alexander III from 9 April 1174 listing the property of the chapter, which included St. John's Church, as well as other property. This did not prevent the parish priest of Molenbeek from several times being in conflict with the

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

of St. Gudula, among other things, about the establishment of a female convent near the St. Catherine Gate in 1238, or about the (of which the Church of St. John the Baptist at the Béguinage remains today) in 1250, or again about the opening of a school in 1451. Later, the tradition of a special pilgrimage for patients with

epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrica ...

developed around St. John's Church. On St. John's Day (24 June), a dancing procession took place, in which epileptics could be freed from their illness for a year if they crossed a bridge over the Molenbeek brook towards the church without their feet touching the ground. A painting by

Pieter Brueghel the Younger Pieter Brueghel (also Bruegel or Breughel) the Younger (, ; ; between 23 May and 10 October 1564 – between March and May 1638) was a Flemish painter, known for numerous copies after his father Pieter Bruegel the Elder's work as well as h ...

, dating from 1592, illustrates this procession. The medieval church was dismantled in 1578 during the

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

Republic of Brussels, which lasted from 1577 to 1585. Religious unrest prompted the parish priest of Molenbeek to make Sainte Catherine's chapel his main church, though St. John's Church was later rebuilt on its original spot.

19th-century church

In 1834–1836, a new Church of St. John the Baptist was built according to the plans of the Brussels architect . However, the new building soon became cramped, not having been designed for a parish whose expansion was rapid during the second half of the 19th century. In addition, it was plagued by moisture problems, so by the early 20th century, it was already due for replacement, but the church's Parish Council did not have the resources for such an operation. In fact Molenbeek was not unique, as many new parishes were created in the suburbs of Brussels around that time. Oude en nieuwe kerk Molenbeek, 1932

By the 1920s, the then-mayor of Molenbeek, Louis Mettewie, although an

anti-clerical Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historical anti-clericalism has mainly been opposed to the influence of Roman Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, which seeks to ...

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

, made the municipal council financially intervene, believing that his municipality was worthy of a new church to live up to its reputation as the ''Little

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

'' (french: le petit Manchester, link=no, nl, het Klein Manchester, link=no) or the ''Belgian Manchester'' (french: le Manchester belge, link=no, nl, het Belgisch Manchester, link=no), in reference to the Northern English city that led the history of industrialisation.

Art Deco church (1930–1932)

The project for the new church was entrusted to the architect . The

building, one of the first churches in Brussels made of reinforced concrete, was built next to the old one, which was demolished, once the project was completed, leaving a space where the / was laid out. The choice of reinforced concrete, rather than brick or stone, was motivated by financial reasons. At the end of the 1920s, the economic crisis made itself felt. The building is large in size but the construction costs were maintained at 5 million Belgian francs (for an initial estimate of 9 million). Even the window frames or ''claustra'' (604 of them) are made of precast concrete. These modern techniques allowed the construction of the building in record time of fifteen months. The plans were signed on 20 August 1930, the first stone was laid by Cardinal

Jozef-Ernest van Roey Jozef-Ernest van Roey (13 January 1874 – 6 August 1961) was a Belgian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Mechelen from 1926 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1927. He was significant fig ...

on 11 May 1931, and the church was inaugurated in 1932.

Description

Exterior

The current building is resolutely

. It can accommodate thousands of parishioners. Outside, the concrete structure is partly covered with Brauvilliers stone. Above the central

portal Portal often refers to: * Portal (architecture), an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, or the extremities (ends) of a tunnel Portal may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * ''Portal'' (series), two video games ...

is a

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

by the sculptor Albert Aebly (1897–1971) illustrating the

baptism of Christ The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is a major event in the life of Jesus which is described in the three synoptic Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark and Luke). It is considered to have taken place at Al-Maghtas (also called Beth ...

. The facade window is in the shape of an enormous

Latin cross A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a mu ...

of glass. The

steeple In architecture, a steeple is a tall tower on a building, topped by a spire and often incorporating a belfry and other components. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religi ...

, octagonal, tall, slender, and having at its top a

modernist Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

clock, flanks the left side of the facade. It is accessible to the public via a staircase of 292 steps leading to a platform, from which one can have a

panoramic view A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined in ...

of Brussels. File:Molenbeek-Saint Jean, Saint-Jean-Baptiste (extérieur) (1).jpg, Main facade File:BaptSide.jpg, Side wall ''claustra'' File:Baptist1.jpg, Clock tower

Interior

The interior is bright and colourful. Space and volume are determined by columns that form slender parabolic arches towards the centre, creating a high-dimensional

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, and other rather symbolic ones towards the two

aisle An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, certain types of buildings, such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, par ...

s, whose space is barely separated from that of the nave. The six arches of the nave are high. The stained glass windows and the concrete-glass compositions are reminiscent of the Church of Notre-Dame du Raincy, in Paris. The non-figurative stained glass windows come from the Brussels studio of the glassmaker and decorator Frans David Crickx (1893–1979). Some interior elements were recovered from the old church, such as the choir stalls which date from the 17th century and an 18th-century statue of Saint John the Baptist attributed to Pieter-Jozef Verhaghen. File:Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Molenbeek-Saint-Jean - Horizontal.jpg, Interior File:Molenbeek-Saint Jean, Saint-Jean-Baptiste (intérieur du clocher).jpg, Inside the bell tower

References

Notes

Bibliography

* ''Engineering Erfgoed. 150 jaar structuurinnovatie in Brussel. Verslag van de studiedag van 7 juni 2011, georganiseerd door de VUB, de ULB en het CIVA'', Ministerie van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Bestuur Ruimtelijke Ordening en Huisvesting, Brussels, 2011. * * * * * {{Catholic Church in Belgium Roman Catholic churches in Brussels Molenbeek-Saint-Jean Protected heritage sites in Brussels Art Deco architecture in Belgium