Saint Peter & Saint Paul
Rue des Frères Germay 4
6960 Dochamps (Manhay)
Church | 1644 | Romanesque | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 June - 30 June
Mon -
Tue -
Wed -
Thu -
Fri -
Sat 10.00 - 18.00
Sun 10.00 - 18.00
01 July - 31 August
Mon 10.00 - 18.00
Tue 10.00 - 18.00
Wed 10.00 - 18.00
Thu 10.00 - 18.00
Fri 10.00 - 18.00
Sat 10.00 - 18.00
Sun 10.00 - 18.00
01 September - 16 September
Mon -
Tue -
Wed -
Thu -
Fri -
Sat 10.00 - 18.00
Sun 10.00 - 18.00
Religious offices
Saturday 6.30 pm
Description
The building in the heart of the village, surrounded by a walled in cemetery and by vegetation, has a country charm. When the 1000 year anniversary of the parish was celebrated in 2011, the inside of the building was joyfully repainted. This work met the approval of the faithful and of visitors. Today the building in local stone is as new. This was absolutely necessary after the terrible destruction endured particularly during the battle of the Ardennes in 1944.
According to a 1011 charter a church already existed in Dochamps. A slab embedded in the wall recalls another destruction in 1642, followed by a restauration thanks to the personal skills of the two local brothers Lamornainy. Both were priests and one, William, was the confessor to Emperor Ferdinand II.
Inside,the stucco ceiling was created in 1955 and the carved wood panelling is the work of Victor Demanet. There are also some fine wood statues including one of Christ on the Cross (18th century) and of popular saints like Roch or Anthony (19th century) as well as baptismal fonts (17th century).
KIKIRPA : Photo-library online
Photos
Remarkable elements
Entrance door
This massive gate is probably the original one. It is made of solid oak and has thick square nails. The upper opening is decorated with elegant columns surrounded by thick iron bars. On the upper part of the gate we see "1644" engraved "the year of the restoration of the church. This is one of the rare parts of the church that fought the attacks of the "Battle of the Bulge" in 1944.
Commemorative stone
This black granite stone (1660) honors the Germé brothers, also called Armornairi, two Jesuits born and raised in the village of Lamormenil, who later collected the funds to rebuild the church after its destruction in 1642. The stone, now in the narthex, originally stood in the middle of the choir and was likely moved during reconstruction on 1 October 1660 by Jean-Antoine de Clavier, zealous representative of the Prince-Bishop of Liège.
The ceiling
The old ceiling -in plaster- was completely destroyed in'44. The current ceiling (finished in 1956) is the work of the artist Victor Demanet, renowned stamp cutter and bronze sculpteur. He kept the earlier motifs of the ceiling. This is -as in the past- constructed from five large sculptures representing the 12 apostles, the Blessing Christ, the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. Under the choir are another five bas-reliefs representing the mystical Lamb of God and the four evangelists.
Panelling and rood screen
They are, like the ceiling, works by Victor Demanet, made of pure oak in the workshop of the Abbey of Maredsous. The rood screen has nine medallions of saints linked to music, along with the coats of arms of Pope Pius XII and Bishop Charue. The panelling contains 32 medallions of male and female saints. St. Victor in the right transept and St. Jeanne near the choir (the only one signed 1956) are portraits of the artist and his wife Jeanne Morue.
The main altar
The old main altar, dating from the early 18th century, was destroyed in 1944. The current altar comes from St Martin’s Church in Forrières (1701) and is built in the style of the original. Like the side altars, it was purchased by the municipality in 1962 at a public sale, originally for the destroyed St Gholien Church in Liège. The main altar painting, “Calvary with Mary Magdalene” (17th–18th c.), has recently been restored.
The charter of Balderic II
The Charter of Balderic II was written under his rule when he was Prince-Bishop of Liège (1008-1018). It gives to the Congregation the Cross of Liège and the church of Dochamps to his heirs for the upkeep of his brothers and monks. This made the church of Dochamps very strongly connected to this congregation (both as a blood relative and as a trend lifter) and this until the end of the 18th century (so for almost 800 years). It should be noted that this is the oldest note of the village.
Nearby
Circuit
Nothing too beautiful for a church
"From bell tower to bell tower in the heart of the Ardennes (car route 1) - Most of the religious art objects were donated by grateful parishioners. The craftsmen and artists they have called upon over the centuries have not counted their hours for these testimonies of faith. So many admirable and moving works!
Of shale and sandstone
From bell tower to bell tower in the heart of the Ardennes (cycle route 1) - How lucky we are to have so many "building stones" in our basement. In this part of the Ardennes, it is mainly schist and sandstone that we find, or even a mixture of the two. The churches built in these rocks draw a very particular strength of character from them... A route for lovers of climbing.
