Our Lady of Snow

The plan for the construction of this beautiful Chaam Maria Chapel matured in 1942, perhaps the most hopeless year of the war. For a quick realization of this ambitious plan, which many considered hardly feasible due to the circumstances of the time, the newly appointed young chaplain A.C.P.M. Hack committed himself with full energy. There was no lack of moral and material support from the Chaam parishioners. Their deeply rooted devotion to the Holy Virgin secured that. Money, labor, and even the building site near Thijske's Forest were spontaneously made available. However.... construction materials were extremely scarce and almost unavailable during this wartime. Nevertheless, chaplain Hack succeeded in obtaining what was needed, although he had to fetch some items in Baarle, Gilze, and Breda. He got the building plans approved, the building site, a pit, was made 'ready for construction' with 400 carts of sand by the young farmers, and the contractor (van Raak) could get to work. A year later, in 1943, the chapel was completed and stood there in full glory, just as it does now in 2006. On October 10, 1943, the chapel was consecrated with sober humility but deep devotion. The radiant centerpiece was and is the statue of the Holy Virgin with the child, carved by the artist Niel Steenbergen from French Savonière limestone. From the consecration to this day, this chapel has been kept clean weekly by volunteers and provided with fresh flowers.

Here is a sound measurement conducted.

Wim Blankers