Sint-Catharinakerk

It is unknown when the church in Wachtebeke was founded but it was certainly after 1199. From 1199 until at least 1550 there stood a single-nave church with on the left side a partial transept.
The present gothic hall church is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria and predominantly dates back to the fifteenth and sixteenth century. The exterior is largely determined by the restorations that took place in the course of years.
On the wide porch that has a sandstone door frame you can find the year 1693. It has a king post from the seventeenth century that depicts Saint Catharine with a martyr’s palm and a torture wheel.
On the inside of the church several items of the furniture stand out. The oak baroque pulpit, dating back to 1649 and crafted by Anthon Sauvage from Ghent, is one of them. On the front of the pulpit you can see a suffering Jesus depicted with a cross and a chalice. On the back, on the door, you can see Jesus the Saviour of the world with a globe in his left hand and a raised right hand with two fingers up as a sign of blessing.
Another striking element is the baroque side altar in the left aisle, from around 1750-1800, that is dedicated to Our Lady. The wooden polychrome statue from the seventeenth century depicts the Immaculate and her divine Child that is threatening and crushing the head of the serpent. 
 

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