Saint Eligius Church

This neo-Gothic church was built in 1884 but has been significantly expanded over the years. Some highlights of this church are the modern stained glass window and the painting 'Portrait of Mary with the Christ Child' by Pieter Claessens.

Origin. A deed from 961 by Count Arnulf II, which grants possessions in Ruddervoorde to the provost of the Bruges chapter of Saint Donatus, mentions the chapel of Waardamme and "the altar" of Ruddervoorde, the two subsidiary churches of the then parish of Orscamp. This would immediately be the oldest mention of a place of worship in Ruddervoorde. This deed is only conveyed in a charter dated October 31, 1089, by Count Robert I the Frisian of Flanders. In 1090, Radbod II, Bishop of Tournai, confirms the rights of the Bruges Saint Donatus chapter over the parish church of Ruddervoorde. The first Saint Eligius church likely dates from the 13th or 14th century. After the religious turmoil at the end of the 16th century, it is noted around 1640 that the church of Ruddervoorde lies partially in ruins.

Under the direction of architect Arthur Verhaegen (1847-1917), who was also a stained glass artist and a pupil of Béthune, plans were drawn up for the complete neo-Gothic reconstruction of the church, retaining only the tower. The works were carried out between 1879 and 1884.
In 1901, several stained glass windows were installed, among others, donated by the families of Outryve d'Ydewalle and Pecsteen. Around 1909, design plans were created by architect Jules Carette (1866-1927) from Kortrijk. The two old side aisles were demolished and replaced by two new, wider and higher side aisles. On Monday, October 13, 1913, the church, in the form it appears now, was solemnly consecrated. On October 17, 1918, the retreating German troops dynamited the tower and also destroyed the nave. The tower and the nave were rebuilt under the direction of architect W. Nolf (1900-1964) from Torhout in the same style. Upon the commissioning of the church around 1925-1926, the only remnants of the original church are the foundations of the tower, the choir, and the transept.

Yvan Vandamme