Is it just me or do those two pointed towers of Sint-Franciscus Xaveriuskerk look like they’re trying to touch the sky? The Sint-Franciscus Xaveriuskerk is also known as De Krijtberg. It stands here as a Roman Catholic rectorate church. It is in the heart of Amsterdam. This church is dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier. Priests from the Society of Jesus serve here. You might know them better as the Jesuits.
The Sint-Franciscus Xaveriuskerk is part of the inner-city parish of Saint Nicholas. The Sint-Franciscus Xaveriuskerk stands on the Singel. It’s the successor to a hidden church. That earlier church was in a house named Crijtberg. Jesuits served there since 1654.
Construction on this current church began in 1881. Alfred Tepe designed this Neo-Gothic church. Like with the Saint Willibrord Church in Utrecht, Tepe faced a challenge. He had to build a large church on a small piece of land. This time, it was between existing canal houses. The available land only bordered a street on the east side. So, the church doesn’t have its traditional orientation.
To use space wisely, Tepe made the side aisles narrow. He added galleries. Instead of a transept, the church has a pseudo-transept. It’s as wide as the side aisles. For the best light, most windows are as high as possible. The interior vault reaches 31 meters.
Since buildings surrounded the church, Tepe gave it a monumental facade. It features two staircase towers. The church was consecrated in 1883. Artists from the St. Bernulphus Guild created the interior. Friedrich Wilhelm Mengelberg was among them.
From its start in 1654, Jesuits have served the Sint-Franciscus Xaveriuskerk. The church’s rectory once housed the Roothaan Museum. It focused on Jan Philip Roothaan, a 19th-century Jesuit leader. Now, the Sint-Franciscus Xaveriuskerk holds a bust. It contains Father Roothaan’s heart. The Sint-Franciscus Xaveriuskerk works with the Ignatiushuis nearby. Jesuits also support that house. Father Jan Stuyt S.J. is the church’s rector. He also held that role from 1996 to 2003.
Godfried Bomans often visited the Sint-Franciscus Xaveriuskerk as a student. He talked with student moderator Father Jan van Heugten S.J. there. In 2008, literary critic Kees Fens was buried from the Sint-Franciscus Xaveriuskerk.
You can attend services here in various styles. There is often beautiful music to be heard. High Mass is sometimes held in Latin. The Sint-Franciscus Xaveriuskerk with its rich history and stunning architecture provides a serene escape.