Deurne, Saint Fredegand’s Church

The church is in the centre of Deurne. It is a listed building.

At the ‘Battle of Deurne’ on March 2nd 1579, between the Spanish troops and those of the States-General of the Netherlands, the church and the entire village were destroyed. In the first half of the 17th century the freestanding aisled church was rebuilt in late gothic style, with local bricks and layers of white sandstone. In October 1644 the church was consecratedIn the Roman Catholic Church, the moment when, during the Eucharist, the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus, the so-called transubstantiation, by the pronouncement of the sacramental words.. It is quite particular that there is no western tower.

The rich Baroque interior is partly from the former Antwerp St Michael’s AbbeyA set of buildings used by monks or nuns. Only Cistercians, Benedictines, Norbertines and Trappists have abbeys. An abbey strives to be self-sufficient. since in the 19th century Fredegand Parish was served by Norbertines from this abbey. Nice Baroque altars. The high altarThe altar is the central piece of furniture used in the Eucharist. Originally, an altar used to be a sacrificial table. This fits in with the theological view that Jesus sacrificed himself, through his death on the cross, to redeem mankind, as symbolically depicted in the painting “The Adoration of the Lamb” by the Van Eyck brothers. In modern times the altar is often described as “the table of the Lord”. Here the altar refers to the table at which Jesus and his disciples were seated at the institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper. Just as Jesus and his disciples did then, the priest and the faithful gather around this table with bread and wine. (1700) contains a painting by J.P. Ykens (1701) and the Fredegand altar (1680), sculpted by J.B. De Vré, has a painting by P. Ykens (1682).

It is assumed that St Fredegand was from this region and lived in the 7th century. He would have been a Benedictine abbotThe man who has been chosen by the abbey community of which he is a member to lead that community for a fixed period. in Deurne and he was especially devoted to the christeningThrough this sacrament, a person becomes a member of the Church community of faith. The core of the event is a ritual washing, which is usually limited to sprinkling the head with water. Traditionally baptism is administered by a priest, but nowadays it is often also done by a deacon. of the local population. Because there was an increasing devotion for this saintThis is a title that the Church bestows on a deceased person who has lived a particularly righteous and faithful life. In the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Church, saints may be venerated (not worshipped). Several saints are also martyrs. the church was dedicated to St Fredegand in 1644. Before that time however, it was Our Lady’s Church. Our Lady of Peace is still being worshiped in this church.

The place is also famous for its churchyard with numerous tombs of members of the Antwerp Middle Class who have been buried here since the 18th century.