Chapel Petit - Drongen

Saint Joseph's Chapel is also called Kapel Petit, after Father Petit.

This neo-Byzantine style chapel was built in 1937-38 on the occasion of the first centenary of the Jesuits in Drongen. On September 10, 1938, the remains of the charismatic Father Adolf Petit (1822-1914), director and developer of the retreat, were transferred to the chapel.

The tailor's son Adolf Petit grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Ghent. He lost his mother at a very young age. Despite his modest background, he was admitted in 1836 to the Sint-Barabara College in Ghent. In 1842 he entered the Jesuits in Drongen and in 1855 he was ordained a priest. After a number of teaching assignments in Brussels and Namur, he returned to Drongen in 1865.

From 1886 he concentrated mainly on the organization of retreats , especially in the retreat house in Drongen. Sisters and brothers, priests and laymen thus came into contact with him and a network of influential persons developed to whom he gave advice and assistance. His engaging personality and extraordinary simplicity made him very popular. The poor and the needy were always welcome with him. Among other things, he was one of the founders of l'Oeuvre du Calvaire, a Brussels organization dedicated to helping the terminally ill who had been left to fend for themselves.

Initially, Father Petit was buried in the former cemetery, next to the presbytery. After his death, a devotional movement of his grateful former retreatants and his fellow brothers started. His 'holy life' has been described in several biographies. In 1937 a procedure for beatification was started and he became 'Servant of God'. When his coffin was opened in 1938, his body had turned brown but was intact. That was considered a sign of holiness . On December 15, 1966, Petit was proclaimed 'Venerable Servant of God' or 'Venerabilis Servus Dei', the first step towards beatification. Over the years, the devotion fell silent. The beatification process was stopped in 1992.

Willem Vandenameele