Beguinage Church of Saint Catherine (Tongeren)

The Beguinage Church dates from the end of the 13th century. It is dedicated to the patron saint of the Beguinage, Saint Catherine. In 1246, the Beguine Metula van Niel donated all her possessions, enough to pay for the construction of Saint Catherine's Church, better known as the Beguinage Church or Paterskerk, which was consecrated in 1294. The early Gothic style is typical of a Beguinage church. The basilica church is recognizable by its nave, which has its own windows and rises above the side aisles. This is different from, for example, a Romanesque church. The church has been renovated and adapted several times over the centuries. The Baroque vault, for example, dates from the 18th century. The crossing tower also dates from that period. After the French Revolution, the church came into the possession of the Tongeren Almshouses Commission, which in 1899 leased it for 99 years to the Friars Minor Fathers – hence the name "Paterskerk" (Fathers' Church). The church has since been deconsecrated. It now hosts only exhibitions, concerts, and lectures.

The Saint Catherine Church, also known as the Beguinage Church or Paterskerk, is a former church building in the Belgian city of Tongeren in the province of Limburg. The church is surrounded by the Brouwersstraat, the Sint-Catharinastraat and the Sint-Rosastraat. The Saint Catherine Church is centrally located in the beguinage of Tongeren. The basilica building consists of a three-aisled nave with six bays, a choir of one bay under a saddle roof covered with slates and a pear spire at the crossing. There is a sacristy on both the north and south sides of the church. The central nave and the choir are the oldest parts of the church, these early Gothic parts are built of flint. The side aisles in marlstone and with a bluestone descendant were added in the middle of the 14th century. Extensions and renovations were carried out in the 15th, 18th and 20th centuries.The rectangular portal is situated on the west side, above the portal there is a lintel. Furthermore, the west facade consists of two long, narrow windows with a trefoil arch centrally above the portal, an oculus and two windows with a trefoil arch on either side of the portal. To the left of the portal there is also a statue of Christ under a wooden niche. The window on the east side of the church was closed, but two oculi are still visible at the top. The sacristy on the south side is situated on the Sint-Rosastraat, this small building was built in neo-Gothic style. The sacristy on the north side was built right up against the choir. Only a small part of the sacristy is visible from the street, as the Franciscan monastery was built against the sacristy. As part of the Sint-Catharinabegijnhof, the building has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1998.

In 1246, the Beguine Metula van Niel donated all her possessions. Enough to pay for the construction of the Saint Catherine Church, better known as the Beguinage Church or Paterskerk, which was consecrated in 1294. The early Gothic style is typical for a Beguine church. You can recognize the basilica church by the central nave. It has its own windows and rises above the side aisles. This is different from a Romanesque church, for example. The church was renovated and adapted several times over the centuries. For example, the Baroque vault dates from the 18th century. The crossing tower also dates from that period. Also note the Baroque furniture inside. After the French Revolution, the church came into the possession of the Tongeren Almshouses Commission, which in 1899 leased the church to the Friars Minor Fathers for 99 years – immediately explaining the name Paterskerk. The church has since been deconsecrated. Now you can go here for exhibitions, concerts and lectures. Visit the Beguinage Church during the opening hours of the exhibitions. Source: vriendenbegijnhof.be/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Begijnhof-van-Tongeren-het-oudste-begijnhof-van-Limburg-BK32-2011.pdf