Sacred Heart

The expansive village of Belzele is located on the old canal called “De Lieve” (roughly translated as “The Lovely”), along which it is lovely to go for a bike ride. Belzele with it’s 2500 inhabitants, has never been an independent municipality with its own town hall, aldermen, and mayor. It always remained a part of the village Evergem.

The village only was given its own church between 1902 and 1905, the church of the Sacred Heart, which was made out of brick and in the neo-Gothic style that was on the rise during this particular time. It took another ten years until, in 1913, the church tower was completed. The church took a lot of damage during the Second World War, but was fully restored in 1951.

The main altar is in Gothic style and has at the top a wood carved crucifix with a statue of Our Lady and Saint John underneath. At the bottom in stone, the altar is divided in five compartments with therein the Road to Emmaus appearance and The Sacred Heart of Jesus appearing to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. In the choir, four scenes have been painted on the walls: the sacrifice of Melchizedek, manna in the desert, The Last Supper, and Jesus, friend of Children.

The right altar is dedicated to Saint Joseph. A stone statue of Saint Joseph with underneath wood carved scenes of the Holy Family, and Saint Joseph on his deathbed.  The side altar in the left side aisle is dedicated to Our Lady. Here stands a stone statue of Our Lady with below it wood carved scenes of the appearance of Mary who hands over the scapular to Saint Simon Stock, and the appearance of Our Lady who hands over the rosary to Saint Dominic.

Above the choir, one can see a suspended cross of three meters in size. On the pulpit from 1904, one can see the wood carved statues of the four evangelists. The baptismal font from 1905, in the back of the church, in the nave, is covered with a copper lid. In the 24 m high tower originally hung a single bell from 1903, weighing 1,075 kg. After the restoration of the entire church between 2011 and 2012, two additional bells were added.

Overview photo gallery of rural Belzele

Card from the Inventory of Cultural Heritage

KIKIRPA : photo-library online