Saint Columba
Rue Sainte-Colombe
5680 Soulme (Doische)
Church | XI | Romanesque | Catholic Church
Map
Opening hours
01 January - 31 December
Mon -
Tue -
Wed -
Thu -
Fri -
Sat -
Sun 10.00 - 17.00
Guided tour
+32-82-67 88 32
Religious offices
1st and 3rd Sunday : 11.45 am
Description
This church at the top of the village, fringed with chestnuts and encircled by an ancient walled graveyard, has charm. Originally it was Romanesque and dates from the 11th century. The base of the naves and the choir are 13th century Gothic. Since then there have been various changes. Thus the portal of the tower is Neo-Classic.
In the southern aisle there is an altar dedicated to the patron saint of the parish, Columba, virgin martyr and roman baptismal fonts.
The stained glass window that illuminates the altar of the virgin is strangely decorated with a grey haired angel accompanied by two other angels with brown hair. The assumption is that these represent the donors of the window, a father and two sons.
Les Plus Beaux Villages de Wallonie
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Remarkable elements
The tower
The tower, located to the east, is the only remnant of the original Romanesque church from the end of the XIth century. It was built on the basis of a square plan of about seven by seven metres. Since then, the tower has undergone practically no modification except the making of the current door in 1811, the window in 1857 and the memorial stone of the war 1914-1918.
Holy water font
The holy-water fonts, in the shape of a shell, are made of red marble of the region. They date from the end of the 19th century.
The baptismal font
The baptismal font is particularly representative of a Romanesque art influenced by oriental artistic trends. The four heads that decorate them are prototypes inspired by West Asian art and the symbols of its decoration reflect a world view that is part of a Mesopotamian tradition. These four heads inscribe the bowl in a square and represent four male faces, severe, hieratic and somewhat naive.
The side altars
The red marble side altars bear a Maltese cross, or cross of the eight Beatitudes, whose points recall Christ’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes guide believers toward true happiness. The left altar is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, whose statue dates from the late 17th century, along with its silver crown. A larger bay window provides extra light to this altar.
Christ on the Cross
The arcade of the church choir is placed on a Christ on the cross in polychrome wood and dates from the end of the 19th century. The cross is decorated with flowers and leaves with a decorated lis at each end. It has a height of 2.20 m and a length of 1.30 m. The Christ is 1 meter high and 80 cm wide.
Statue of Saint Colombe
The statue of St. Colombe dates from the end of the 17th century. She used to participate in the procession, the priest Rase offered her his coat in 1904. On the altar is a photograph of the altarpiece, accompanied by an explanatory text. These documents were presented by a visitor from Deerlijk, the only other Belgian parish dedicated to Saint Colombe.
