Page 30 - LOTN Issue 45

FAITH AND CULTURE

from St. Denis Church in Vorst. Although there are doubts as
to whether she actually existed, there are remarkably detailed
accounts of her. She was born in the 7th century, a daughter of
the pagan King Bevolt of Dilbeek. Her father warned his wife
and daughter against this strange Christian religion but Alena
secretly converted and would travel through the dangerous
woods every night to attend Mass in Vorst. Her father found
out about this and sent one of his guards to follow her and
stop her. The guard had to give up when she walked across the
surface of the river Zenne. Her angry father sent two more men,
armed, to stop her. However, she clung on to a tree so tightly
that the two men pulled her arm off! Her body was found by the
priest and was taken to the chapel to be buried. Many miracles
were attributed to her. The blind Duke Omundus prayed at her
grave and got his sight back, so went to her father to tell him.
The heartbroken King Bevolt repented and became a Christian.
Another pair of models shows a richly dressed man wielding
a sword, about to behead a maiden who offers her neck, with
her hands folded in prayer. A devil peeks out from her skirts
with pleasure at this awful scene. This is St. Dymphna. She was
born in Ireland in the 7th century. Her mother died, and so her
father decided to marry her off - against her will. She escapes to
Flanders with her confessor Father Gerebernus. Her father goes
insane, tracks them down and beheads the priest and then his
daughter. The figure of St. Dymphna is made from sandstone,
from the early 16th century.
There is an oil on canvas painting dating from around 1743.
It shows three Beguines kneeling as they take their vows to join
the Beguinage of Leuven, which was founded in 1207. They
are the sisters Isabella and Elizabeth and their cousin Marie -
Josephine De Bruyn. In the background are the parents of the
The crucifixion of Heilige Wilgefortis sisters and the Beguinage. They lived in house number 20 which
was built for them in 1734. Knowing all these details of the
sculpted from wood between 1060 and 1070 for St Leonard figures in the painting really brings it to life.
Church in Zoutleeuw in the Belgian province of Flemish The variety of objects on display is truly amazing. There is a
Brabant. wooden window frame with a sliding panel. This is from the
The Beguine movement, a Christian Sisterhood where women cell of St. Colette. This and several other relics of hers, like some
lived in community, was very strong in this area and the museum of her meagre clothing, her crude rosary, comb and so on date
houses a fascinating illustrated panel with 46 illustrations of the
Beguines at work, mostly at textile manufacture.
A remarkable exhibit is a lifelike sculpture of St. Martin of
Tours. He is depicted in fine armour and clothes and mounted
on his horse. He is pictured bending down with his cloak being
cut in half by his sword. A poor man, resting on short crutches
and wearing only a ragged loincloth, kneels on a stool. He
reaches up for 'his half' of the saint's cloak. Being a complete
stand-alone model, it is striking. It came from All -Saints chapel
at Diest.
Yet another most striking item is the model of a crucified
woman. This is Heilige Wilgefortis and was made around 1400
to 1450 in Mechelen. Legend has it that she was the daughter
of the King of Portugal and was promised as a bride to the King
of Sicily. She did not want this, preferring to be a religious,
so prayed hard for help. In answer to her prayers she grew a
beard which made her so unattractive that the King of Sicily
refused her! Her father was so mad at her, that he had her
crucified. People with marriage problems sometimes ask for her
intercession.
There are several items associated with Saint Alena van Vorst:
a gravestone from 1200; a 14th century relic (her arm bone); a
statue dating from 1500 and a panel illustrating her life story Mass-produced statues of Jesus
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