Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ten-Bos Nieuwkerken-Waas (Sint-Niklaas)

Our Lady of the Woods in Nieuwkerken-Waas (Sint-Niklaas) is an Open Church.
The church is open all year round on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The first church was erected after the discovery of a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary in a forest. In 1217 there was a place of pilgrimage in the forest. Later, this community was given the name Nieuwkerken, originally part of the parish of Sint-Niklaas.

The present brick building was built in 1792-93. It is partly built in recycled material from the previous church. The previous churches were respectively burned down and demolished.

Elements of the previous church can also be found in the interior: the pew of the churchwardens, the confessional, credence table and baptismal font. The painting 'Our Lady of the Forest Appears to the Shepherds (17th century) and the altar sculpture 'Our Lady of the Forest' (14th century) refer to the history of its creation.

The church has several paintings: "Settlement of the Cross" (copy after Rubens), "Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" (copy after Jordaens), "Blessed Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene and Catherine" (17th century), "Descent of the Holy Spirit" (1613, Cornelis De Vos); "Entombment of Christ".

The choir stalls and organ case date from 1795 and were designed by E. De Cauwer. The classicist pulpit (1804) was made by Livinus De Jager.

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