Sint-Jan Baptistkerk

Sint-Jan Baptistkerk is the parish church of the Boxbergheide district in Genk, in the Belgian province of Limburg, close to the grounds of the well-known Bokrijk open-air museum. The parish's full name is Sint-Jan Baptist de la Salle, and the building stands as a post-war example of religious infrastructure development in this former mining region.

Where did this parish come from?

The Sint-Jan Baptist de la Salle parish was established to serve residents well beyond the garden district of Boxbergheide alone. Church authorities set a clear priority at the time: building schools took precedence over building the church itself. In practice, this meant the congregation first worshipped in a provisional, temporary church, put up as a stopgap while schools for children from the surrounding mining settlements were treated as the more urgent need.

Why was a new church built?

The temporary chapel quickly became too small for the growing parish. In 1959, an architectural competition was held among three architects. The commission for the new church went to Louis Van De Vondel, an architect born in 1919 in Antwerp who later established his practice in Hasselt, where he went on to design a number of other buildings.

How long did the project take?

The path to the finished church was a long one. The architectural plans themselves were drawn up in 1961, but approval from all the relevant authorities took several more years. The building permit was not issued until 1966 — seven years after the competition was decided. The newly built church was consecrated in September 1967, finally ending the parish's long wait for a permanent home of its own.

Where does the church's dedication come from?

The church is dedicated to Saint John Baptist de La Salle, born Jean-Baptiste de La Salle (1651–1719). He came from a wealthy family but chose a religious vocation instead, and was ordained a priest in 1678. His name is carried by both the parish and the church in Boxbergheide, giving rise to the full official name Sint-Jan Baptist de la Salle, often shortened locally to Sint-Jan Baptistkerk.

What's worth knowing when exploring the area?

The church sits next to Bokrijk, one of Belgium's best-known open-air museums, which brings together historic rural and craft buildings from across the Limburg region. For visitors touring Bokrijk, the church in Boxbergheide adds an authentic piece of local architectural fabric — an example of post-war religious construction built in response to the rapid growth of the working-class and mining communities around Genk.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Sint-Jan Baptistkerk located? The church stands in the Boxbergheide district of Genk, in Limburg province, near the grounds of Bokrijk.

Who designed the church? It was designed by architect Louis Van De Vondel, chosen through a competition held among three firms in 1959.

When was the church consecrated? It was consecrated in September 1967, a year after the building permit was finally granted in 1966.

Where does the church's dedication come from? It is named after Jean-Baptiste de La Salle (1651–1719), a priest ordained in 1678, whose name also gives the parish its full title, Sint-Jan Baptist de la Salle.