Maspelt

St. Hilarius Church in Maspelt

The two patron saints of the neo-Romanesque church, St. Hilarius and St. Rosa of Lima, are among the rare patron saints of East Belgian churches. They are venerated in Maspelt with two choir windows, two figures on the side walls and two bell inscriptions. Two other windows show the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus and St. Joseph.

The first chapel from 1736 still belonged to the parish of Thommen. The baroque high altar with a Pietà in the shell niche and side altars also date from this time. In 1803, the inhabitants’ wish to annex Maspelt to the parish of Reuland was granted. Due to dilapidation, the church was renovated in 1871. In addition to the patron saints, the veneration of St. Donatus, who is invoked during storms, has a long tradition. Curiously, the statue standing next to the entrance portal was destroyed in a storm in 2006. The villagers decided to purchase a new one, which was created by the carver Konrad Testor from St. Jakob in South Tyrol. The blessing took place on the long side of the church on the day of the fair in 2007. An offering box attached to a pillar inside the church is also considered rare.

Source: Churches and chapels in East Belgium by Freddy Derwahl and Johannes Weber

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