Saint Gertrude
Place Charles du Bois d'Enghien
7090 Hennuyères (Braine-le-Comte)
Church | | Romanesque, Gothic | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 January - 31 December
Mon -
Tue 9.00 - 15.00
Wed 17.00 - 19.00
Thu 9.00 - 15.00
Fri -
Sat 9.00 - 15.00
Sun 8.30 - 16.00
Religious offices
Description
Its oldest visible part is the former Romanesque tower. Its arrow slit allows for dating the construction between 1000 and 1030. This section is also the oldest building in all of Braine-le-Comte.
The church serves as a true photo album of the village’s history. From Viking incursions to Italian immigration, each period has left its mark. It has shaped the village, which developed around the church and its charming square.
The various materials that make up the interior - blue stone, brick, and wood - provide remarkable acoustics. The church is surrounded by a park that includes the old cemetery, a Lourdes grotto, and a bench for rest and meditation.
The parish council has decided to celebrate these thousand years of Christian and spiritual presence with various activities between 2025 and 2030.
KIKIRPA: Photo-library online
Photos
Remarkable elements
Romanesque tower (now boiler room)
This is the oldest visible part of the church. Its loophole allows it to be dated: between 1000 and 1030. It also breaks two records: it is the oldest visible building in the municipality of Braine-le-Comte, and it contains the oldest schist vault in Belgium.
Statue of Saint Gertrude
Gertrude was the founder of the abbey and town of Nivelles in the 7th century. From the second half of the 14th century onwards, statuary depicted her with one or more gerbils hanging from her crook. This is a reminder of the Great Black Death that ravaged Europe in 1348. Between 1/3 and 2/3 of its population was decimated. Depicting Gertrude with this animal is a form of thanks for her benevolence.
Choir of the church
Rebuilt and enlarged in the 16th century by the abbey of Nivelles, which owned it, the choir is misaligned with the central nave, which belonged to the village inhabitants. Since the church is oriented (facing east), its central stained glass window, depicting a monstrance open to the Holy Host, is illuminated by the first rays of the sun at the summer solstice (June 21).
Baptismal font
Created at the very beginning of the 20th century, it features a double basin with water drainage. Researchers Koch and Pasteur had just discovered that many contagious diseases spread through contaminated water. It then became necessary to prevent the water used to baptize one child from contaminating the next.
Photographic stained glass window
A stained glass window representing the German Emperor Saint Henry, but with the face of a churchwarden. Taking advantage of the latest advancements in photography at the end of the 19th century, Henri Wasnaire inserted himself into the representation through his photo printed on the glass.
Altar of the Emigrants
Between 1949 and 1989, the village of Hennuyères had two places of worship: the Church of Saint Gertrude and the "Chapel of the Italians." A significant Italian community arrived after the war to strengthen the workforce in Hennuyères' tile factories. They had their small chapel within the factory. When their pastor left, the Church of Saint Gertrude inherited its altar and a painting, Madonna degli emigrati, entrusted to this community by Pope Pius XII.
