Wondering why this church bears the name Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes? The story of the Église de Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes begins with a grotto. A Lourdes grotto stood nearby in Jette. Many pilgrimages took place there especially during World War I.
That original chapel quickly became too small. The community considered building a larger church a few hundred meters away. This is that church.
The Église de Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes that stands before you was built in 1949. Chrétien Veraart designed it. Veraart used a modern Romanesque style with brick and concrete.
Before this church existed a neo-Gothic church served the parish. Octave Tondeleir designed that earlier church in 1913. It became a chapel when this larger Église de Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes opened.
The Église de Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes also hosts a Ukrainian Greek-Catholic community. Their patron saint is Saint Volodymyr.
The church’s history reflects Jette’s growth. In 1913 the original church met the needs of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Lourdes parish. By the time World War II approached the church had become too small. The population of the area had simply outgrown it.
Construction of this new church began in 1948. The first stone was laid on Charles Woestelaan. The Église de Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes was consecrated in 1954. After that the original church became a chapel. It served the Lourdes grotto.
Look at the architecture. Notice the square built-in tower. It rises above the entrance. The tower has a tent roof. Above the entrance a relief depicts two people worshiping Mary. Above that stands a statue of Mary.
Pay attention to the organ inside the Église de Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes. Jos Stevens built it in 1965. Its music fills this sacred space. From a small chapel to this larger church the story of Église de Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes mirrors the evolving spiritual needs of Jette.