Chapel of Our Lady of the Iron Sint-Niklaas

In the Heimolen district in St.Niklaas there is a pilgrimage chapel that was built in 1920 in gratitude for the safe return of 17 frontline soldiers. They left for the army in August 1914. The neighborhood prayed the rosary in the hope that they would escape death. In that case they promised to build a chapel. Although some frontline soldiers suffered serious injuries, they all returned.

Pauline Van Lysebetten donated the building plot.
The chapel was consecrated in 1920. Above the door is the text:
"No one sets foot or speaks along this path
Our Lady of the Iron Hail Mary."
In the chapel, the statue of Mary with the baby Jesus is flanked by two resting soldiers. The statue is a design by August Nobels.

On the left hangs a memorial plaque with the 17 names:
"For the saved
return of all 17
soldiers of this district.

Out of gratitude
Colman Joseph
De Prijker Armand, De Prijker Isidoor, De Prijker Leopold, De Prijker Petrus
Henderickx Peter
Mariman Desiré, Mariman Gerard
Smet Alois, Smet Gabriel
Van Deurzen Joseph
Van Eyck Frans, Van Eyck Theophiel
Van Gucht Aloïs, Van Gucht Frans, Van Gucht Jozef
Vercauteren Theophiel
Veterans
of the war 1914-1918"

The chapel has now been donated to the Tereken parish of St. Niklaas.
Since 1920, every year on Whit Monday, a solemn commemoration takes place with a Eucharistic celebration, followed by folk games and a social gathering of the neighborhood.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Marie-Christine Vinck