Parish Church of Our Lady - Lebbeke

Our Lady parish church and pilgrimage site of Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted. Impressive partly Gothic and Baroque church building located on the east side of the Great Place, originally surrounded by an oval walled cemetery that was added to the village square in 1897.According to a legend, the church was built through the intervention of Our Lady who determined the location and dimensions of the church with a silk thread, a legend that is also alive in other places such as Laeken, Alsemberg or Onze Lieve-Vrouw-Lombeek. According to Lebbeek legend, the Twelve Families, owners of twelve walled farms, were the founders of the church. In 1108 they received permission from Bishop Odo of Kamerijk to build a church. 1108, however, refers to the charter of Adelwidis, widow of Ringoot II of Dendermonde, in which the transfer of the church and altar of Saint Christiana to the newly founded chapter of Dendermonde took place through Bishop Odo of Kamerijk. A first church was probably founded by the Ghent St. Bavo's Abbey at the Villa Lietbeka in the 9th century. However, at the beginning of the 11th century, St. Bavo's Abbey lost the church to the lords of Dendermonde.
(Immovable Heritage Inventory)