Church of Saint Amandus in Sint-Amandus (Beernem) - Discover this open and welcoming religious building

Church | 1644 | Gothic | Catholic Church

Disabled access Parking space Toilets Picnic area Organ

Map

Opening hours

01 November - 31 March
Mon 9.00 - 17.00
Tue 9.00 - 17.00
Wed 9.00 - 17.00
Thu 9.00 - 17.00
Fri 9.00 - 17.00
Sat 9.00 - 17.00
Sun 9.00 - 17.00

01 April - 31 October
Mon 9.00 - 18.00
Tue 9.00 - 18.00
Wed 9.00 - 18.00
Thu 9.00 - 18.00
Fri 9.00 - 18.00
Sat 9.00 - 18.00
Sun 9.00 - 18.00

Description

The history of this neo-Gothic church, with six bays and a clock on each side of the tower, goes back to the 11th century. Nothing remains of the former church. Despite receiving its altar rights from Louis the Pious, later confirmed by Charles the Bald, and its associations with Bishop De Marvis and the Liberty of Bruges, the building was ultimately destroyed by the Geuzen in 1580. A period of reconstruction, closures, and new plans followed, until its demolition in 1901. After which an austere neo-Gothic cruciform church was built to a design by provincial architect René Buyck. Some of the natural stone pillars were reused.

The result is a brick structure beneath a tent roof, with a baptismal and funeral chapel. The tower has four clocks, two louvered windows, and is supported at each corner by tapering buttresses. In the nave, the bluestone pillars and the wooden pointed barrel vault are prominent features. The neo-Gothic altars, pews, and the choir stalls date from 1901. Two confessionals are from 1784, while the other two are replicas. The church is home to a Van Peteghem organ from 1852.

On the first and fifth Sundays of each month, Mass is celebrated at 11 am in the church, and every Wednesday and Friday, a weekly service is held at 9 am in the sacristy. Choir practices, school Masses, and catechesis are held in Beernem. The church is open for concerts and exhibitions; the meeting room for church-related gatherings. Heritage groups often visit the church together with the cemetery that features 19th-century funerary monuments in neo-Gothic and neoclassical styles. The church is accompanied by a rectory within an enclosure, accessible via a bridge.

Photos

Remarkable elements

Baptismal chapel

Baptismal chapel designed by R. Schelstraete, built against the church’s north wall by pastor Louwyck. The central limestone baptismal font, octagonal in shape, was a gift from Israël Jansens, Englishman and commander of the Zuidleie canal diggers. Gothic lettering recalls his wife and children (1619). Only the tub is original; the base was renewed in 1900‑1902 and a neo‑Gothic lid tops it.

Winged altar

Our Lady of Perpetual Help : Neo-Gothic winged altar in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help with a panel on each side with images of angels. Originally, there were two three-armed small brass candlesticks attached to the woodwork.

Confessionals

These confessionals are said to be a replica of the two older confessionals from 1784 that are located in the transepts. The precise information about their exact date, their commissioner, or creator remain unknown to date.

Working altar

Made from the panels that once formed the base of the original neo-Gothic pulpit. The pulpit is said to also have been a design by baron Emmanuel de Béthune and was created in 1901 to replace the old pulpit by J.B. Gillis from 1792. The panels of the working altar depict the four evangelists with their respective attributes.

High altar

High altar donated by pastor Clarebout in 1901 and designed by baron de Béthune. The neo‑Gothic polychrome altar has a blue limestone top resting on four columns with bas‑reliefs of a candlestick, a reliquary, and showbread. A gilded tabernacle stands below a Calvary group. Two angels flank it, and the open section shows the Feeding of the Multitude and the Last Supper.