Artists Hilde Van Sumere depicted the Passion of Christ in fourteen square white marble sculptures, each mounted on one of their corners. Through sober lines and angles, she evokes the last journey of Jesus in a restrained but intense manner. The fact that each square looks precariously balanced but stays upright is a reference to the world that keeps turning, undisturbed by suffering. The shapes in the squares represent the faltering stature of man: upright at first, before falling over twice when the beam is at an angle. When Jesus falls for the third time at the ninth station, the beam is horizontal. The last station shows the resurrection: triumph as a triangle of faith, hope and love.
© Photo: Bert Beckers
You can’t fail to notice the fourteen large statues at the top of the columns as soon as you enter the church. They depict the twelve apostles, Mary and Joseph with the infant Jesus. The base of each of the sculptures shows the coat of arms of an important or noble beguine. The statues were installed when the medieval church was adapted in line with the spirit of the Council of Trent (1545-1563). They were made in a Counter-Reformation baroque style, as were the confessionals, the pulpit, the baroque side altars and the majestic main altar. The shadow behind each of the statues is another notable feature, even though this was a fairly common sight in the Low Countries and Germany between the 15th and 18th centuries.
© Photo: Paul Laes
Restoration work carried out in 1978 and 1980 revealed fascinating murals dating back to the 14th and 17th centuries. On the southern wall, the lives of female saints and martyrs are shown in yellow and red ochre colours, with Saint Barbara and Saint Veronica standing out the most. These paintings are almost like a religious graphic novel. The most impressive scenes are contained in the mural on the western church exit, which shows the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins Stylistically, this 15th-century work belongs to the Dirk Bouts school. The lesson to be learned from these scenes is as follows: stay vigilant, because you never know when God will call you.
© Photo: Bert Beckers
The organ on top of the rood screen was built in 1692 by Peter Goltfuss, the eldest son of the renowned German organ builder Hans Goltfuss, who had settled in Haacht. This organ is Peter’s only remaining intact work. What's more, there are only a handful of 17th-century organs throughout the Low Countries that have remained in such a complete and pristine state. The instrument only underwent a few minor adaptations in the 19th century. Following a restoration campaign organised by the church between 1978 and 1985, the organ can once again be heard regularly during liturgical celebrations and concerts.
© Photo: Paul Laes
The church floor contains around 90 tombstones of priests and wealthy beguines, all buried between 1396 and 1753. Beguines who were less well-off were buried in the graveyard surrounding the church. The oldest tombstone dates back to 1396 and belongs to a young lady called Machtelt Roelants. You can find it right at the back of the church’s southern nave. The most interesting gravestones were removed from the floor in 1856 and placed against the northern wall. They are Gothic tombstones of exceptional quality belonging to Katherine van Voirsselaer (1458) and Katherine van Nethenen (1459). Together with her husband, Andries Thomas, Leuven’s Master of the Mint, the latter was a major benefactor of the church.
© Photo: Bert Beckers
