Saint Gery

Grand-Place, 1430 Rebecq

About this building

Until 1865, the Saint Gery church, surrounded by its cemetery, stood on the site of the current Grand-Place. The building, built in the 16th century in Gothic style on older stone foundations, had become too small and was in a worrying state of disrepair. A decision was then taken to build a new, larger church, in neo-Romanesque style, on a nearby plot of land donated by a manufacturer.

The construction extends from December 1865 to the end of 1868 according to the plans of the provincial architect Émile Coulon, who had already directed the expansion work on the Hospice de Rebecq. As financial resources were limited, the exterior decoration was limited to the front facade facing the Grand-Place. The church was solemnly consecrated on June 3, 1872.

Some elements of the present church come from the old one: the baptismal font and font at the entrance, the altar and the statue of Saint Gery in the choir. Exceptional in our regions: the interior paintings were restored to their original state in 1996-1997 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the church. Imitating a stone decoration in the nave and transept, they recall in the choir the Crucifixion of Christ (the instruments of torture) and his Resurrection (neo-Byzantine fresco). The Saint Gery church thus recovers its inner beauty and its original splendour.

The Saint-Gery church (FR)

Archeological excavations on the Grand-Place (FR)

KIKIRPA : Photo-library online

The holy water font

These baptismal fonts in blue stone, with an octagonal foot and dating from the 15th century,…

Baptismal fonts

These baptismal font in blue stone bear the following inscription:” Jaque Le Gosse gave…

Altar

Made of white marble, this high altar, consecrated in 1601, in Renaissance style, comes from the…

Statue of Saint Gery

This hard granite statue of Saint Gery on a small column is invoked against foot-and-mouth…

This hard granite statue of Saint Gery on a small column is invoked against foot-and-mouth disease. It bears on its base a coat of arms bearing three lions and the date 1567. It was inserted into the round arch of the front door of the former Rebecq church. Its place was reserved in the hanger of the current porch (a console is provided for this purpose) but its considerable weight did not allow it to be installed there.

Stained glass windows of the choir

The stained glass windows in the Saint Géry centre are surrounded by the patron saints of four…

Frescoes

The Byzantine inspired frescoes are the work of the painter Charles-Henri Stiennon (1851-1942).…

The Byzantine inspired frescoes are the work of the painter Charles-Henri Stiennon (1851-1942).

They represent Christ in majesty holding his cross, with characters from the New Testament to the left (Mary, Saint Peter, Saint Paul...) and other characters from the Old Testament to the right (Moses, Elijah...).