Nos événements

In the southern Tereken quarter of Sint-Niklaas, the Church of Saint Joseph has invited reflection for more than a century. A Marian chapel long stood on this spot, first recorded in 1578; when the parish of Tereken was established in 1872 — a community largely of labourers, farmers, clog-makers and weavers — that chapel first served as its church.

The first works began as early as 1872; once the plans had been approved by royal decree, the foundation stone was laid on 20 October 1874. The building was completed in 1878 and blessed on 19 April 1880 by auxiliary bishop Gustave De Battice. Its construction was funded by the state, the province and the city, but also by many gifts from ordinary people.

The city architect Edmund Serrure designed this brick church in the neo-Gothic style. To respect the existing streets, the choir was unusually oriented toward the west. Fifty-five metres long, crowned by a tower rising sixty-five metres and built for some 1,900 worshippers, it reflects the ambition of a modest but fervent community. The building has been a protected monument since 2000.