Sint-Ritakerk

Sint-Ritakerk is a parish and pilgrimage church in the village of Sint-Rita, also known as Den Hoorn, part of the sub-municipality of Moerkerke within the Belgian municipality of Damme. The church stands at Hoornstraat 90 and is dedicated to Saint Rita of Cascia.

Why did Den Hoorn need its own parish?

Before the war, residents of Den Hoorn had no church of their own — they attended services at the Sint-Dionysiuskerk in Moerkerke. Everything changed in 1944, when occupying forces destroyed the bridges over the Leopold Canal and the Schipdonk Canal, known locally as the Jacksen bridges, which connected Den Hoorn to Moerkerke. Reaching the parish church suddenly became impractical, cutting the village off from a place of worship its residents had relied on for generations. That disruption became the direct trigger for establishing an independent parish in Den Hoorn, one dedicated to Saint Rita.

How did the village go from a temporary chapel to a permanent church?

The new parish needed a place to worship quickly, so in 1946 a makeshift emergency church went up, built from leftover wartime materials — a common solution during postwar reconstruction, when money and building materials for permanent structures were scarce. That improvised building served the community for over a decade, but in 1960 a second temporary structure was built, a sign that plans for a lasting church kept being postponed. It wasn't until 1976-1977 that the current brick church was finally constructed. Interestingly, the site chosen for it had previously held a tram switch, a small detail that hints at how much the surrounding area changed over the decades. Local volunteers carried out the construction under the guidance of parish priest Reverend K. Ackaert, following designs by architect Stefaan Dejaegere of Kortrijk.

What does the church's architecture look like?

Sint-Ritakerk is a low but comparatively long, brick, three-aisled hall church set beneath a gabled roof. The building is divided into five bays, each lit by three windows, a layout that gives the interior a rhythmic, repeating quality typical of postwar sacred architecture built economically but with attention to proportion. On the facade of the tower is a ceramic depiction of Saint Rita, created by Willy Mitchell, adding a decorative touch to the otherwise plain brick structure and clearly signaling to visitors which saint the church honors.

Where exactly is the church located?

Sint-Ritakerk sits in the village of Den Hoorn (Sint-Rita), a hamlet within the municipality of Moerkerke, itself part of the larger municipality of Damme in West Flanders. The location's approximate coordinates are 51.2528°N, 3.3831°E.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the church called Sint-Ritakerk? The church is dedicated to Saint Rita of Cascia, and both the parish and the village itself — now also known as Sint-Rita — took their name from her.

Why did Den Hoorn need to build its own church? Because in 1944 the bridges connecting the village to Moerkerke, where residents had previously attended the Sint-Dionysiuskerk, were destroyed, forcing the creation of an independent parish.

When was the current church building constructed? The permanent brick church standing today was built in 1976-1977, following two earlier temporary structures from 1946 and 1960.

Who designed the church? The plans were drawn up by architect Stefaan Dejaegere of Kortrijk, and the building itself was constructed by volunteers under parish priest K. Ackaert.