Pearl of The Langstraat: Sint Jan de Doper Waalwijk

To confess something right away: I delivered some magazines and picked up leaflets at St. John's the other day, but I haven't actually looked that closely at Sint Jan de Doper. A stone's throw from our office, I see and hear St. John's every 15 minutes. Time to delve into this!

Beautiful inside and out
As I enter, I am greeted by three enthusiastic volunteers. They are just three of the approximately eighty volunteers who work on this beautiful building. Their duties include welcoming and informing visitors, organizing concerts and lectures, and performing minor maintenance.

I met with Corné Dijkmans. He has lived much of his life in Waalwijk. In addition to his regular work, he volunteers, on behalf of the Friends of Sint Jan de Doper, to make the church the centerpiece of Waalwijk society in a cultural-historical sense.

About six years ago, there were a number of active parishioners who thought it would be a tremendous shame if the church were to be closed - in fact, the church was scheduled for closure. They joined forces to preserve this beautiful church, which contains no less than two million bricks! The foundation 'Friends Sint Jan de Doper' was then established with the goal of preserving the church building for future generations. Corné joined the foundation as a volunteer shortly after its establishment and is involved in PR and Communications. "I have warm feelings about this building" he indicates. "Not primarily because of religious or Catholic reasons, really given its history and its striking significance for Waalwijk. It would really be a shame if this unique monument were to be lost".

And yes, it certainly is. This largest neo-byzantine church in the Netherlands attracts attention from afar with its nineteen copper domes and minaret-like tower. But besides that you really must take a look inside. This can be done with the free audio tour where I was taken from point to point past the copper canopy and the beautifully rendered prophets in stained glass, the Stations of the Cross by Charles van Eijck, and ... well, am I giving away everything? It's definitely worth it, so go see for yourself!

A person can always dream
The Friends of St. John's are catching on. In the past five years a lot has already happened; tours, lectures and monthly concerts to sometimes as many as five hundred people. One of the biggest highlights is becoming part of the Largest Museum in the Netherlands last summer, which they certainly (should) be proud of!

And plans are also in full swing: they are in the process of turning the basement under the Sint Jan into an exhibition space with all sorts of things from the history of the churches of Waalwijk. In cooperation with an external partner, grade 7 and 8 students will also get a look inside the church and organists and young artists (in training) will be allowed to let their sound be heard.

"A person can always dream," Corné indicates with a smile. They would like to realize new atmospheric LED lighting soon. In January, they hope to begin monthly organ concerts on Saturday afternoons, and in the slightly longer term it should be possible to open the tower for climbing and sightseeing. In five years they hope to celebrate the centennial and hopefully they will be able to do so in a big way. And all of this is non-profit. I am very curious about the implementation of these beautiful plans!

Want to know more about Sint Jan de Doper? Then click here!