The Gray Sister, 350 Years of Care

We are here at the statue of the Grey Sister by sculptor Roland Rens. The pedestal states “1655-2005” and represents nearly 350 years of medical care.

However, there was already a hospice here in 1288, managed by the Table of the Holy Spirit. Originally intended to accommodate travelers – after all, Aarschot was a renowned pilgrimage site of Our Lady – it evolved into a nursing home and hospital, especially for poor or single residents. The staff consisted of laypeople and probably also included Black Sisters. During that period, we indeed see a wave of religious men and women who did not want to be bound to an order, but would earn their heaven through the practice of works of mercy. In the following centuries, the hospice would become richer through donations from, among others, 'proveniers', individuals who paid well for their care.

As with many civic hospices, the end of the 16th century is a difficult period due to the ongoing religious wars. In 1578, Aarschot was completely destroyed.

And although there was some recovery in the early 17th century, the service remained subpar. Attempts by the Archbishop of Mechelen to have the hospice taken over by religious women failed. The hospice was, after all, a source of income for the city.

Around 1650, the poor condition led to social unrest, and in 1655, under the pressure of the Duke/Duchess of Aarschot, an arrangement was made between the city and the church: three Grey Sisters from Sint-Annendael in Diest came to Aarschot and developed the hospice organization and the site. Until the French Revolution, they would manage the hospice and serve as nurses until the 1980s.

Jan Rymenams