Historical explanation of the dilapidated church:
In 1687, the chapel in Kruisstraat was demolished and transferred to Koewacht, where it was rebuilt on the site of the then Fort Masereels. In 1713, the chapel was demolished and a new church was built on its site, which was consecrated in 1714. It was a hall church with a tower. In 1850, the church was enlarged.
In 1914, as a result of the First World War, it became impossible for Dutch believers to visit this church any longer, as the Belgian-Dutch border was blocked. On the Dutch side, an emergency church was built in 1916 and in 1921 a separate church was consecrated, also a St. Philip and Jacobus church.
Given the location of Koewacht on the border of the municipalities of Moerbeke and Stekene, a distribution key was established whereby Stekene reimburses two thirds of the operating costs.
The church was withdrawn from worship in 2019. Parts of the interior, such as the baptismal font and the altar with relic, were transferred to the church of the same name in the Dutch part of Koewacht. Since then, the municipality of Moerbeke has used the church as a storage facility, pending a new purpose.
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