Located in Fort Lillo, this church was originally a Protestant garrison church. The village proper had another church in Old Lillo. After 1785 it became a Catholic church dedicated to Saint Joseph. From 1830 to 1839 it served as a warehouse for foodstuffs. It was then restored and used as a church again, but in 1882 it was struck by fire. In 1883 a new church was built to a design by Louis Gife. In 1965 this church became a parish church, because the church at Lillo-Kruisweg, as well as the villages Oud-Lillo and Lillo-Kruisweg themselves, fell victim to the harbor expansion. Then the fortress church was renamed and dedicated to Saint Benedict. The Saint Benedict parish was dissolved in 2017 and added to the Saint John Baptist church in Berendrecht. Although services can still be held in the church, this hardly ever happens in practice.

Translated by Google •

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

August 17, 2025

The neo-Gothic St. Benedict's Church was built in 1883 after its predecessor burned down.

Historical context: Lillo-Fort traditionally housed a garrison chapel that served as a Protestant service for many years. Many Antwerp Protestants came here. During the French occupation, St. Benedict's Church was used as an arsenal, and after Belgian independence, it was used for Catholic worship. Along with its surroundings—a tidal harbor, barracks square, gunpowder magazine, and casemates—the church was designated a protected townscape and was restored in 1996.

Source: antwerpen.be/info/54ef2c11cba8a7aa5c8b4583/sint-benediktuskerk-lillo

Translated by Google •

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Location: Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium

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