Holy Trinity and Holy Christian Church Laprakete

In the 11th century there was a chapel that was subordinate to the Sint-Quintinus parish of Oostkerke.

This chapel was located east of the current church. From 1236 to 1246 the Spermaliepolder was diked and the chapel that stood there was replaced by a Gothic church building around 1240 . In 1583 the dikes were breached by the Beggars. Then the Lapraketse Gat was created. The church was left abandoned on a marsh.

A new church was built further west in the Sint-Jobspolder. He was initiated in 1652. This church was partly built with materials from the former church. The new Lapbreeke grew around the church.

The current wooden vault was installed in 1790 and the tower was restored in 1846. The current floor is from 1853 , where the most important gravestones were included. A sacristy was added in 1911. During the Second World War, the roof in particular was damaged by artillery and in 1958 the church was restored with new stained glass windows .

It is a three-aisled church building in Renaissance style . The side aisles have a flat ending and the central nave ends in a three-sided choir. The tower is on the east side of the church, which is exceptional for the region. The tower is covered by a tent roof and is flanked by a stair turret.

The central nave has a barrel vault with the curvature of a basket arch, while the side aisles have a wooden cross-rib vault.

The late Renaissance pulpit is from 1654 and the confessionals are from around 1700. The main altar is from 1743 and made of painted wood. A portico altar from 1761 is intended for the Brotherhood of the Most Holy Trinity (Trinitarians) and has a painting about the Trinity that was probably made by Jan Garemijn. Then there is a Marian altar from the 3rd quarter of the 18th century. Judocus Arschot painted the Holy Family (1713). There is also a Saint Sebastian altar from the 3rd quarter of the 18th century, for which Jan Garemijn made the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian.

Most of the furniture is from the late 18th century , such as the Louis XVI style communion rail. Busts of saints Quirinus and Cornelius are 18th century.

The organ dates from 1858 and was made by Pieter Loncke. Among the gravestones, that of Pastor Franciscus Heldewijs (1685-1748) may be mentioned. He was pastor of Lapbreeke from 1715 to 1745, and was sometimes called the Uilenspiegel or (of course much later) the Don Camillo of Lapbreeke.

Willem Vandenameele