Saint Catherine and Saint Cornelius Church

The St. Catharina Church of Diegem is probably the most visited church in Flanders. The cross on the church is funded by Brussels Airport. Most of us have seen it while taking off or landing in Zaventem. For decades, this cross has been warning air traffic from Zaventem. The cross ensures that the church is visible from the Woluwelaan, the E40, and the Brussels-Leuven railway line. There is something remarkable about the tower as well. This papal tower barely survived World War II. The German occupier had the tower dismantled brick by brick to avoid obstructing the warplanes taking off from Melsbroek. It was not until 1951 that the reconstruction, again brick by brick, was completed.

Pascal Brackman