Klooster Nazareth van de Zusters Franciscanessen
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In 1797, the convent of a group of sisters in Weert was under threat. Weert was not under Dutch rule at that time, and since one of the sisters had family in Oirschot, they fled there. The official name of the sisters was the Congregation of Penitent Recollectines, but they are commonly referred to as the Sisters Franciscans because Saint Francis was their great inspiration.
The sisters settled in Oirschot in a few houses on Koestraat. They had to run their little convent and accompanying boarding school almost in secret, as the Dutch government was not favorable towards convents. This changed over the course of the 19th century. Therefore, in the 1830s, the Sisters Franciscans were able to build a proper convent on the site of the current convent. This became the first 'Nazareth' convent.
The sist…
In 1797, the convent of a group of sisters in Weert was under threat. Weert was not under Dutch rule at that time, and since one of the sisters had family in Oirschot, they fled there. The official name of the sisters was the Congregation of Penitent Recollectines, but they are commonly referred to as the Sisters Franciscans because Saint Francis was their great inspiration.
The sisters settled in Oirschot in a few houses on Koestraat. They had to run their little convent and accompanying boarding school almost in secret, as the Dutch government was not favorable towards convents. This changed over the course of the 19th century. Therefore, in the 1830s, the Sisters Franciscans were able to build a proper convent on the site of the current convent. This became the first 'Nazareth' convent.
The sisters were strongly oriented towards education, particularly for girls. They established a school for poor children and kindergarteners. In their boarding school, they taught girls from affluent families various subjects, including fine needlework. Over time, the boarding school evolved into a teacher training college (pabo). Additionally, the sisters founded a sewing school (now VMBO Care & Welfare) and a mulo (lower-level secondary education). The convent was constantly adapted to the circumstances, but at the beginning of the 20th century, it reached its limits.
In 1906, a decision was made to start complete reconstruction. Jan Stuyt and Jos Cuypers were the architects. The construction began with the schools, which were built on the east side - the town center side - of the complex. Next came the chapel, still the distinctive part of the building. The First World War delayed the construction process. In 1926, the convent was completed. The educational part quickly became too small, so a separate school building for kindergarten education and the home economics school was built on the west side of the complex, also designed by Jan Stuyt. This building, now called De Oirsprong, houses apartments. The educational part of the convent complex has been converted into an apartment complex called Sandershof.
In addition to education, the sisters were also involved in healthcare. In 1848, they revitalized the old guesthouse and turned it into a hospital and nursing home. Nowadays, it is the Joriszorg nursing home. In the Hof van Solms, the sisters cared for their older and sick fellow sisters from 1904 to 1981; the building was then called Franciscushof.
The number of sisters has significantly declined in recent years. A large part of the Nazareth convent is now a care home run by 'Amaliazorg'. The rest of the convent complex will eventually undergo a different purpose.
