Lecture & Hike: the traces of the Benedictines in Merkelbeek.

Visit the monumental Clemens Church, restored in 2014. The Clemens estate and the Lourdes cave have been a major attraction for pilgrims for many years. The original parish church in Merkelbeek was built around the year 1000. After the construction of a new parish church in 1879, it was used as the chapel of the small convent of the Sisters of the Precious Blood. In 1892, the Benedictines of Affligem took possession of the monastery, enlarged it and started to use this chapel as a night choir for their devotions until 1922, when the Benedictines left for Mamelis and the Carmelites took over the monastery. The restoration of the Clemens domain in 2014 re-established the Benedictine interior with its wall paintings. During the lecture and hike, the restoration process and the meaning of the depicted saints will be discussed. The event is free of charge.

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