Saints Cyril and Methodius

+32 484 68 37 05

Saturday : 6 pm vespers
Sunday : 9 am matins followed by the Divine Liturgy

The Orthodox parish of Ostend was founded in 2001 under the protection of Saints Cyril and Methodius and belongs to the Archdiocese of Belgium of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

After many years without a permanent home, the parish settled in 2015 in the former Saint Godelieve Church in Mariakerke. A 99-year lease agreement granted the Orthodox community full use of the building, thanks in large part to the efforts of Archpriest Bernard Peckstadt.

Saint Godelieve Church was originally built to serve the growing population of Mariakerke. A chapel was established in 1936, the church was consecrated on 18 September 1940, and it became an independent parish in 1959.

Designed by architect Smis, the building is an example of modern brick architecture, characterized by its rectangular layout and the absence of a bell tower. The interior features stained-glass windows by Cor Westerduyn, wood carvings by R. Caquin, and murals by F. Kieckens.

Today, the parish is home to around 400 faithful of various backgrounds, including Greeks, Romanians, Russians, Bulgarians, Poles, and Belgians. Officially recognised by the Flemish Community in 2014, the church has since been fully renovated according to Orthodox traditions.

Its most distinctive feature is the iconostasis, an oak icon screen made in Greece that separates the sanctuary from the nave. The icons were created by Georgios Tsitsiklis, while the choir stalls and frescoes were produced by artists from Thessaloniki. A large central chandelier and a finely crafted pulpit from the monastery of Langerbrugge complete the church’s remarkable interior.

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