Our Lady of the Assumption
rue de l'Eglise
59310 Orchies
Church | 1827 | Contemporary | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 January - 31 December
Mon 8.00 - 17.30
Tue 8.00 - 17.30
Wed 8.00 - 17.30
Thu 8.00 - 17.30
Fri 8.00 - 17.30
Sat 8.00 - 17.30
Sun 8.00 - 17.30
Work is planned for 2027.
Description
The church as we know it today is the successor to four well-known buildings that were destroyed, either through dilapidation or by the two world wars. The last bombings in May 1940 destroyed a large part of the building. A single aisle still stands and welcomes the faithful until the autumn. Services were then held in the village hall of the boys' school and, from 1942, in a barracks commissioned by the town hall.
Meanwhile, reconstruction work continued. The architectural style of the church differed from that chosen for the furnishings and fittings. While the exterior façade and barrel vaults of the nave show references to 18th-century classical architecture, the liturgical furnishings are in keeping with the contemporary movement to revive sacred art. At the beginning of 1957, the dean of Orchies asked Father Goossens from Saint Paul of Wisques Abbey to come and work on the choir furniture.
To see other churches decorated by the monks of Wisques, click here...
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Photos
Remarkable elements
The ceramics workshop at Saint-Paul de Wisques Abbey
Ceramic work developed in the 1950s thanks to the monastic art workshops of the Saint-Paul de Wisques abbey.
Since 1957, the church has been home to furniture created by the monk-artists, particularly Dom Goossens (1910 - 1976). The façade of the high altar depicts the ‘Triumph of the Lamb in Heaven’ (according to the Apocalypse of Saint John). The candlesticks and tabernacle on the altar are from the same commission. Above, the cream and bluish-grey Christ completes the decoration and layout of the choir's sacred space.
In the weekday chapel, the tabernacle door features a depiction of the prophet Elijah fleeing from the wrath of Ahab, King of Israel. Finally, the Way of the Cross, signed ‘Wisques’ at station 12, was inaugurated in 1960.
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Painted wooden statues
The church houses four statues sculpted by Jean Cattant (Paris, 1918-2002), who also worked on the sculptural layout of Wisques Abbey: the Good Shepherd bringing back the lost sheep (above the left side altar), Saint Christopher (above the right side altar), Saint Joseph and the Virgin and Child (at the entrance to the choir). The choice of traditional iconography reflects the specific style of Wisques' production.
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Copper roofing
The use of copper for the church roof may seem unusual. Yet this material is widely used in the construction of public buildings, as demonstrated by the roof of the town hall. It is resistant to corrosion and rust, which means it can stand the test of time, despite the elements and temperature variations. With its green-grey tinted roof, the church in Orchies is recognisable and visible from far away.
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The Pieta
Also known as the ‘Mater Dolorosa’ (or Virgin of Pity), this sculpted group depicts the pain of the Virgin holding the body of her son Jesus Christ in her lap, after the descent from the cross. This moment precedes Christ's burial, resurrection and ascension.
In some communes, this sculpted group may be associated with the funerary monument or commemorative plaques for those who died in the world wars. The representation of the Virgin weeping for her son becomes a representation of the Fatherland weeping for its children who died in battle.
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The organ
The inauguration of the organ in 1970 marked the completion of the church's reconstruction. The instrument comes from the convent of the Redemptorist Fathers in Mons (Belgium). It was restored in the workshops of Aloïs Thunus in Malmédy, Belgium, before arriving in Orchies.
Now dusty, a new restoration project is planned.
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The choir windows
The use of stained glass windows to illuminate the choir is typical of rebuilt churches.
In the left-hand window, Mary is shown kneeling with her hands folded over her heart. An angel stands before her, welcoming a dove that descends towards Mary. This is the episode of the Annunciation. On the right, the Assumption of the Virgin refers to the name of the church, which is dedicated to Notre-Dame de l'Assomption.
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