Sint-Catharina en Sint-Corneliuskerk

Sint-Catharina en Sint-Corneliuskerk is a late-Gothic parish church in Diegem, a sub-municipality of Machelen in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, only a short drive from Brussels Airport. The church stands on a gentle slope facing the site of a former medieval moated castle and has been a protected heritage monument since 1938.

When was the church built?

The building visitors see today was constructed between 1450 and 1543 out of pale grey-white natural stone quarried locally. The oldest surviving part, however, predates the rest of the structure: the foundation of the chancel tower was laid earlier, between 1400 and 1450, and effectively served as the starting point around which the larger late-Gothic church later grew. Inside, the church still preserves medieval frescoes, one of the main reasons it was granted protected status.

Why does the church have two patron saints?

The church's double name — Sint-Catharina en Sint-Cornelius — reflects a genuine shift in the parish's religious history. Saint Cornelius, a third-century pope and martyr, was the original patron saint, and the church was once a well-known pilgrimage destination in his honor. Pilgrims invoked him for protection from, or healing of, gout, epilepsy, convulsions and whooping cough.

From 1615 onward, Catherine of Alexandria was venerated as patron saint alongside him, a change possibly influenced by Catherine Oudart, a local noblewoman who died in 1629 and left her mark on the parish's religious life. Devotion to Cornelius never disappeared, though: from 1751, both saints have been named together, which is exactly the arrangement preserved in the church's name today.

What happened to the tower during the Second World War?

One of the most dramatic chapters in the church's history took place in 1943, when the German occupying forces ordered the demolition of the church tower. The official reasoning was that the tower interfered with air traffic to and from the nearby Melsbroek airbase, which the occupier was using at the time. The demolition permanently altered the building's silhouette and removed one of Diegem's historic landmarks.

What can visitors see today?

Visitors are drawn mainly to the late-Gothic architecture in its distinctive pale stone and to the medieval wall paintings preserved inside. The church's setting is equally notable: perched on rising ground directly opposite the grounds of the old moated castle, it gives this corner of Diegem a markedly historic feel, despite lying so close to one of Belgium's busiest airports.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the church located? In Diegem, a sub-municipality of Machelen, in the province of Flemish Brabant, close to Brussels Airport.

How old is the church? The main structure dates from 1450–1543, while the foundation of the chancel tower is older, dating back to 1400–1450.

Why are two saints named in the church's title? Because the parish's patronage changed over time: Saint Cornelius was the original patron and pilgrimage focus, while Catherine of Alexandria became co-patron from 1615; since 1751 both have been named together.

Is the current tower original? Not entirely — the historic tower was demolished in 1943 on orders of the German occupying forces because it interfered with air operations at Melsbroek airbase.

Is the church a protected monument? Yes, it has been legally protected as a heritage building since 1938, partly because of its surviving medieval frescoes.