Tag Archives: Gothic

Sep5

The House of Compassion – Or – Saint John the Baptist at the Béguinage

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Wednesday, 31-July-2024


The Church of Saint John the Baptist at the Béguinage… or, as it’s known now, the House of Compassion, sat a stone’s throw from my rental. It’s a pretty church, if looking a bit old and in need of a pressure washing, and it (along with the square around it) made for a very excellent landmark for my adventures.

Wednesday evening, after my adventures in the city, I realized that I hadn’t actually walked inside the Church of St. John the Baptist at the Béguinage. I’d walked past it quite a few times, but hadn’t seen the door open previously… or if I had seen it, I hadn’t quite picked up on it and walked in.

Today, I headed inside.

I was expecting your standard-issue church – some stained glass, a fancy organ, maybe some statues and paintings. A gilded alter, you know the drill.

I didn’t see what I was expecting.


I mean, okay. I did find all of that. I didn’t notice any of it, at first, though – instead having my attention captured by what had been made of the church.

It was an art exhibit.

It was stories of refugees, of asylum seekers, and of the homeless population.

It was a meeting place, with a long table with dozens of chairs in the center, seemingly waiting for people to come in and have a communal meal.


The whole interior had been reworked – and as I wandered, I ran into a docent who told me the whole story: I short, the church had become abandoned during COVID. Belgium has quite a few churches, and a dwindling religious population it seems, and so when the previous pastor retired… this massive stone edifice that would have been the cornerstone of any religious group in the United States was simply left empty. They tried to get a new pastor, but as none were available the congregation simply moved on, and left the building locked up.

Squatters moved in – but instead of defacing or damaging the building, they turned it into a home for asylum seekers and refugees abandoned by the system. The previous congregation slowly came back, helping them maintain the building, and the church turned from a place of worship into a place of survival… and then, when the asylum seekers and refugees found more permanent housing, it was transformed again into a memorial to their struggle and the struggle of so many like them.


I adore this.

I can’t say how much I adore this idea – instead of huge cathedrals laying unused, as a gilded monument to the power that religion used to hold, they’re turned into places to help those in need. I spoke at length with the docent, learning about how the whole process went, and got his contact information so that I could reach out once I finished settling into Ireland.

It really was an incredibly moving experience – all the more so because it was unexpected and unplanned. Absolutely worth stopping in.

Sep2

The Church of Saint Catherine

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Wednesday, 31-July-2024


There’s a lot of beautiful buildings in Brussels.

On my wanderings I was fortunate enough to find quite a few of them – walk in, appreciate the architecture and the cool air, and continue my explorations. As with many of the churches I’ve explored on this trip, there really isn’t too much else to say about it… it’s a beautiful gothic / baroque style building, nicely quiet and serene.

It’s simply there, as a beautiful example of architecture and design. No more, no less.

Jul29

St. Stephen’s Cathedral – Domkirche St. Stephan

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Monday, 01-July-2024


After emerging from the endlessly ornamented underground crypts of the Hapsburgs, I felt like I needed a bit of opulence to make up for the sudden lack of decadence.

I set my sights on the Natural History Museum – the twin to the Art History museum, one that I expected to fully satiate my need for incredibly ornamented beauty. On the way, though, I found their equal – or even their better, if you’re interested in gothic architecture over baroque.

St Stephen’s Cathedral, a landmark of soaring gothic buttresses and spires.


I… uhh… I explored it. Went in, looked around, took some photos… I mean, it’s a cathedral, but it didn’t have an unexpected concert going on, so I didn’t really have much reason to stay too long. There were some beautiful paintings, of course, but… well, I wandered, explored, and moved on.



Now, to be clear, I could have explored much further. There were catacombs and tombs, from what I could gather, along with a bell tower that could be visited. All of those, though, required one to book a tour… which only ran at certain times of the day.

For one reason or another, I was feeling a bit antsy. I wanted to walk, and to move, and to do my own thing on my own timetable. I avoided the tours, and set my sights on my next stop – relegating the various tours and options to my list of things to see the next time I visit Vienna.