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Nieuwkerke and its church before and during WWI
On 8 November 2014, a Canadian delegation from Toronto came to bring back an object to this church. During WWI, the church lay in ruins and Canadian soldiers watched over this village. A chaplain entered the ruins and saved an altar stone from destruction. After some wanderings and service in a Canadian church, this altar stone disappeared into the archives cupboard. When the archives were checked in the spring of 2014, the indications on the reverse showed where the stone came from. A Canadian delegation came to Northern France for the big commemoration of 11 November and at the same time brought this altar stone back to the church. Together with the parishioners, the principal, teachers and pupils of the primary school Nieuwkerke this piece of church history was handed over to the church council in a beautiful ceremony. This altar stone got a nice place in the church. Some exhibition panels highlight the village and its church before and during WWI.
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Nieuwkerke is an ancient commune on the roman road Belle- Wervik and in 1105 was already known as “Nova Ecclesia” (New Church).In 1080 a Romanesque church was opened on the site of an ancient chapel by the monks of Sint-Jan –ter-Berghe. This church was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Thus, in the 16th century it was changed to a late gothic building but this, unfortunately, was severely damaged, apart from the south west façade, during the First World War.
The present church with its three naves was built in 1922-23 in Neo-Romanesque style by Joseph Viérin.
Inside are several treasures; a statue of Christ on the Cross (1600), a Stations of the Cross by C Vallaeys (1923) and stained glass windows that commemorate the murder of three priests at Reningelst.
Every quarter of an hour the sound of four small bells of the carillon ring out.
The church council produced a very interesting illustrated brochure in 2003.
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