Our Lady of Perpetual Help
L. Carréstraat 1 2
2220 Hallaar (Heist-op-den-Berg)
Church | XV | Gothic | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 January - 31 December
Mon -
Tue -
Wed -
Thu -
Fri -
Sat 9.00 - 10.00
Sun -
En by appointment: kerk.hallaar@telenet.be
Religious offices
Description
In the church, there is a miraculous, clothed and kept statue of Mary with child. This statue is said to date from the 15th or 16th century.
The golden age of pilgrimage in the 17th and 18th centuries led to renovations and embellishments of the church, which was listed as a whole, together with the cemetery, in 1976.
KIKIRPA : photo-library online
Photos
Remarkable elements
Statue of Our Lady
A miraculous statue made Hallaar a pilgrimage site. Originating in the 15th–16th century as a seated Madonna with the Child, it was transformed in the 17th century into a Spanish-style standing Madonna. Her robes include pieces from 1780. She holds a silver Flemish heart with Antwerp roses, a rosary, and a medallion from 1854. Since 1962, an annual procession honors Our Lady in Hallaar.
Retable of the main altar
The main altar’s oak retable, crafted by Jan Gerrits in neo-Gothic style, is topped with a statue of Our Lady and Child. Its central niche shows a Calvary scene with the inscription “Consummatum est.” Christ stands between Saint John and Our Lady, while Mary Magdalene holds his feet. On both sides appear Old Testament prefigurations of the Cross—the sacrifice of Isaac and Melchizedek’s offering—along with the four evangelists.
Stained glass windows
Stained glass and choir paneling: the three central windows show scenes from Mary’s life (1875), while others from 1904 come from the Antwerp studio of Stalins and Janssens. In the 17th century, the choir and church interior were covered in oak paneling, restored around 1850, when medallions of the fifteen rosary mysteries were added. Corbels display angels playing instruments like vielle, harp, flute, violin, and lyre.
Pulpit
The pulpit with Saint Jerome was installed in the early 19th century after Saint Joseph’s altar was removed. Its shell and back panel date to the early 18th century. Plaster medallions show the Sermon on the Mount, the Child Jesus with Mary and Joseph, and the calling of Saint Peter. The shell rests on Saint Jerome with his lion. The base and statue were made by Jan van der Neer in the early 19th century.
Retable of Saint Joseph
The side altar in the south aisle is dedicated to Saint Joseph. The 1925 retable shows Joseph with the child Jesus, with his marriage to Mary on the left panel and his death on the right. A Holy Cross altar once stood here, reflecting the church’s original dedication by the Berthout family. After the medieval crusades, this devotion grew popular. The retable stands on a monument to Hallaar’s fallen of World War I.
Confessionals (Our Lady on the south side, and The Good Shepherd on the north side)
The oak confessionals were built into the original wall paneling and date to the early 1700s in rich Baroque style. One shows Saint Peter with keys and King David with his harp. Another early 18th century confessional, adorned with Baroque details and the scroll ‘I am the Good Shepherd,’ features Mary and Joseph on its doors and was reserved for women seated on the church’s left side.
