Saint Nicholas Church (Zoerle-Parwijs)

In the Kerkstraat of Zoerle-Parwijs, the Sint-Niklaaskerk towers above the village houses. The former cemetery is now a green park with benches and a monument to J.N. Lemmens, founder of the Lemmens Institute. The architectural style of the church is a classicist pseudo-basilica built in 1777-1778. On a facing brick is the chronogram 'DIVo nICoLao eXstrUCtUM'. In 1879 the church was rebuilt. The building is built with brick. The more expensive white sandstone was used for, among other things, the corner blocks, the door frame and the scaffolding holes. Only here and there we still see the local iron sandstone.
In the park is the memorial to the organist-tone poet Jacobus Nicolaus Lemmens (1823 — 1881), born in Zoerle-Parwijs and founder of the Lemmens Institute in Mechelen (and now housed in Leuven). Lemmens mainly focused on the study of Catholic church music, in particular on the Gregorian chants. He gained international fame as an organ virtuoso. In 1878 he became the first director of the School of Religious Music founded in Mechelen by the Belgian episcopate. This Higher Institute for Church Music, which is now located in Leuven, was later named after him. Lemmens died on 30 January 1881 at his estate Kasteel Linterpoort in Zemst.

Jan Rymenams