Saint Columba

The tower, located to the east, is the only remnant of the original Romanesque church from the end of the XIth century. It was built on the basis of a square plan of about seven by seven metres. Since then, the tower has undergone practically no modification except the making of the current door in 1811, the window in 1857 and the memorial stone of the war 1914-1918.

The holy-water fonts, in the shape of a shell, are made of red marble of the region. They date from the end of the 19th century.

The baptismal font is particularly representative of a Romanesque art influenced by oriental artistic trends. The four heads that decorate them are prototypes inspired by West Asian art and the symbols of its decoration reflect a world view that is part of a Mesopotamian tradition. These four heads inscribe the bowl in a square and represent four male faces, severe, hieratic and somewhat naive.

The red marble side altars bear a Maltese cross, or cross of the eight Beatitudes, whose points recall Christ’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes guide believers toward true happiness. The left altar is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, whose statue dates from the late 17th century, along with its silver crown. A larger bay window provides extra light to this altar.

The arcade of the church choir is placed on a Christ on the cross in polychrome wood and dates from the end of the 19th century. The cross is decorated with flowers and leaves with a decorated lis at each end. It has a height of 2.20 m and a length of 1.30 m. The Christ is 1 meter high and 80 cm wide.

The statue of St. Colombe dates from the end of the 17th century. She used to participate in the procession, the priest Rase offered her his coat in 1904. On the altar is a photograph of the altarpiece, accompanied by an explanatory text. These documents were presented by a visitor from Deerlijk, the only other Belgian parish dedicated to Saint Colombe.