Sint-Martinuskerk

According to some sources this church already existed in 964. The church, presumably in wood, used to be the chapel of the adjacent castle Ten Daele.
After some minor renovations in the decades after its consecration, ideas to further extend the church developed: in 1878 the whole nave was completely demolished and reconstructed with two side aisles. The choir was augmented and a new and larger sacristy, a side choir on the southern side, a transept and a tower staircase were also constructed.
The veneration of Saint Blaise* was revived at the beginning of the twentieth century by the priest at that time. He also ordered to add a procession on the facade of the church.
The highlights of the interior include a statue of Saint Martin from the sixteenth century and a painting from the seventeenth century depicting ‘Saint Martin destroying Jupiter’s temple’. Three oak altars made by the brothers De Clerck from Merelbeke were added to the church furniture at the end of the nineteenth century. In the same period Matthias Zens painted the choirs.
The organ dates back to 1932 and was made by Leon Daem from Appelterre. It contains organ pipes from the previous organ, which was made by the famous organ builder Van Peteghem.
On July 9, 1997 the whole building became protected heritage.
* Saint Blaise was one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (a group of helpers of different diseases) and he was called for throat disorders. The legend says he miraculously healed a boy after the child almost choked on a fishbone. Blaise died a martyr’s death. On February 3, after Mass, the priest utters the Blaise blessing using two candles that are crossed in front of the throat of a member of the parish. The Blaise worship originates in the eighth century.

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