Saint Willibrord Church

The Sint-Willibrorduskerk is a Roman Catholic church on Feiko Clockstraat in the Dutch village of Oude Pekela.
The church was built between 1895 and 1896 to replace an older barn church from 1783. The construction was long delayed because the congregation did not wish for new construction. The church administration asked architect Nicolaas Molenaar sr. to copy the Sint-Bonifatiuskerk by Cuypers in Dokkum, but the experienced Molenaar came up with his own design. He designed a neo-Gothic cross basilica, with a tower above the entrance. The tower bears a resemblance to the tower that Pierre Cuypers designed for the Sint-Willibrorduskerk in Sappemeer. The fact that the impressive church was built entirely according to the design and no compromises were made for financial reasons is mainly due to the fact that paper manufacturer Freerk Liefkes Drenth from the Union financially supported the construction. Molenaar also designed the adjacent rectory. The neo-Gothic inventory consisting of three altars, the pulpit, statues of saints, and lighting was made by the company Mengelberg from Utrecht. The church was consecrated on June 9, 1895, by Archbishop Henricus van de Wetering.

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