The church and Mariakapel in Oostelbeers

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De Kerk en Mariakapel
Kerkstraat 10
5091 BE Oostelbeers
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At Kerkstraat in Oostelbeers, there are a church tower and a church on either side of the road. The tower is a remnant of the church built in 1853. As the community grew, the 'Holy Andreas and Antonius of Padua Church' was constructed in 1934. In 2016, the church was decommissioned and is now a hospitality and events venue known as "De Kerk."

On June 17, 1853, a Holy Mass was held to inaugurate the church located on Kerkstr…

At Kerkstraat in Oostelbeers, there are a church tower and a church on either side of the road. The tower is a remnant of the church built in 1853. As the community grew, the 'Holy Andreas and Antonius of Padua Church' was constructed in 1934. In 2016, the church was decommissioned and is now a hospitality and events venue known as "De Kerk."

On June 17, 1853, a Holy Mass was held to inaugurate the church located on Kerkstraat next to the cemetery. This church was a so-called Waterstaatskerk, designed by architect P. Boots, built under the supervision of Rijkswaterstaat, and with financial support from the national government. The church initially had one hundred seats. In 1893, a tower was added, designed by architect Fransen. However, the church soon became too small. In 1934, the Holy Andreas and Antonius of Padua Church was built next to the rectory. In 1967, the nave of the old church was demolished, leaving the tower standing.

To restore the tower to its religious function, restoration work began in 2012. On July 1, 2012, with a blessing by the chaplain, the Mary Chapel in the tower was inaugurated. During the restoration, old murals were reintroduced by students from Sint-Lucas in Boxtel, and a glass plate was added to the chapel's ceiling, providing a view of part of the tower.

The Holy Andreas and Antonius of Padua Church was constructed in 1934 based on a design by architect Martinus van Beek. The church is connected to the adjacent rectory by a corridor. The brick church features neogothic elements and is set back from the building line. A portal with a platform and stairs stands in front of the façade, housing the door in a pointed arch on a natural stone base.

Inside the church, many decorations by the renowned Limburg artist Charles Eyck can be found, added to the church in various periods. Eyck created the murals in the choir depicting scenes of Holy Andreas and Antonius and the crucifixion of Christ. He also designed the stained glass windows in the transepts. When the church was decommissioned and repurposed as an events venue, all decorations were preserved.

The church houses a neogothic Maria altar from around 1900, a neogothic oak confessional, a marble main altar from around 1935, and a wooden neogothic altar with a relief of the Lamb of God from 1835.

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