Nos événements

Office, Procession and Entombment

Friday 18 April, 19:00 23:00

Saint Peter - 7860

On the program

18 April 2025 will mark the 550th anniversary of Lessin's tradition of Good Friday in its current form: service, procession and entombment. Tradition has it that a document dated 1475 refers to an event taking place in St Peter's Church on Good Friday.

The current trilogy is therefore the heir to a custom dating back to at least the 15th century. Although what took place in Lessines on that special day of Christ's death is still unknown, the rite has gradually developed into what it is today.

Here's how it goes:

- 7.25pm: the Penitents enter Saint-Pierre church.

- 7.30pm: solemn Passion Office.

- Around 9pm: Switching off of public and private lighting in the old town, exit of the procession of the Entombment of the Penitents (route: parvis Saint-Pierre, Grand‘ rue, Grand’ place, rue des Moulins, rue des Quatre Fils Aymon, Résidence René Magritte (CPAS), rue Général Freyberg, Grand' rue, Parvis Saint-Pierre, église Saint-Pierre).

- Around 10.00 pm and 10.30 pm: The entombment of Christ in the chapel of Sainte-Barbe (Saint-Pierre church), known as ‘the sepulchre’.

Event address

Parvis Saint-Pierre, 7860 Lessines

Date & time

18 April 2025 - 19:00 to 23:00

See the route on Google

Learn more about the building

Saint Peter

7860 Lessines

Event Host Building

Saint Peter

Lessines, a few steps away from the famous Notre-Dame à la Rose hospital, classified as an exceptional heritage site in Wallonia, the decanal church of Saint Peter is, to say the least, special. First of all, by its dimensions: more than 45 meters long and nearly 34 meters wide. Then, for its structure: between the tower, its chapels and a pentagonal choir constituting one of the most interesting 14th century constructions in Hainaut, the interior takes on the appearance of a hall church, seemingly made up of 5 parallel vessels; in reality, on either side of a large central nave, 12 meters high, 3 large chapels are grafted on, playing the role of double aisles.

The edifice occupies the site of a primitive chapel replaced by a first Romanesque church before 1075, itself replaced by a second one at the end of the 12th century. Since then, the building has undergone more than a dozen campaigns of extensions, transformations and restorations.

Annihilated on May 11, 1940 by a few German incendiary shells, the church lived a real ordeal, with restoration work only beginning in early 1950 and leading to the consecration on May 22, 1952. Through his work, the architect Simon Brigode was keen to restore the original purity and luminosity of the monument, which had been listed since 1941.

If the tower and the light-floor of the great nave date back to the second Romanesque church of the 12th century, the major part of the building is Gothic, a style perpetuated throughout the various campaigns of work that took place between 1356 and 1817.

Some works of art and furniture saved from the 1940 disaster have found a place in the church while the last war damages were attributed late: large organ in 1989, baptismal font, side altars and 3 bells only in 2013.

Welcoming, luminous, historical and educational, the church of Saint Peter is only waiting for one thing: your visit!

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Commémorations 80/70 (FR)