Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Kerknet

The Church of the Exaltation of the Cross was originally a Gothic church, typical of Flemish coastal churches, later enlarged with a neo-Gothic nave. It was classified as a protected monument in 1937, 1983, and 2003.

Devotion to the Holy Cross dates from the 16th century, when a cross was hauled from the sea near Wenduine. From the 17th century, a brotherhood was established. Each Pentecost Monday, the legend is re-enacted in a mass spectacle, followed by the blessing of the sea, a 200-year-old tradition.

Between 1183 and 1187, the chapel became an independent parish church. Parts survive in the south chancel and tower foundations. Around 1290, aisles and side chancels were added, placing the octagonal tower at the crossing, which has served as a sea beacon. During the 1566 iconoclasm, the church was partly demolished and used as a stable. In the 17th century it was restored; dilapidated parts were removed in 1719. 

By 1900, Wenduine was a busy seaside resort and the church was too small. During work, 13th-century flagstones and 17th-century graves were found. Architect Alphonse Depauw designed a new lower church in 1906, followed by restoration of the tower with a new spire. The hall church has a nave, two aisles, and an octagonal crossing tower.

The interior, beneath a wooden ribbed vault, contains an oak Rococo pulpit from the mid-18th century, a portal, and a stone tabernacle with copper doors, possibly from the 16th century. The Miracle Cross from the 17th century was recoated in 1992. Chancel stained glass dates from 1908–1922. The 13th-century tiles were incorporated into the floor; the lower church font is polished bluestone with a copper lid.

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