St. Joseph, Leiden

Church in Leiden, Netherlands

Saint Joseph
Saint Mary

Consecrated17 September 1925ArchitectureArchitect(s)

StyleExpressionismAdministrationDioceseDiocese of RotterdamParishSt. Peter and PaulClergyBishop(s)Hans van den HendePriest(s)Jeroen Smith

St. Joseph Church is the largest Roman Catholic parish church still in use in Leiden in the diocese of Rotterdam. It is also called the Herensingelkerk, because it is situated at the street called Herensingel. The church is a national heritage site and one of the tallest buildings in the centre of Leiden.

History

The church was built in 1925 and designed by the architects Leo and Jan van der Laan in an expressionistic style related to the New Hague School. In 1934 the nearby Assumption of Mary Church in Leiden was closed and merged with the St. Joseph. From that moment the church is officially named Our Lady Assumption and Saint Joseph.^[1]

Building

The nave is relatively wide with the purpose to give al participants a clear view on the altar. The narrow aisles show stations of the Cross painted in 1943 by Wijnand Geraedts which also include an extra scene with the Ascension of Jesus.^[2] The apse is dominated by a fresco painted in 1931 by Alex Asperslagh in Jugendstil style, depicting the Trinity.^[3] The pneumatic organ is from 1929 by Valckx & Van Kouteren.^[4] The wooden altar contains relics of Saint Boniface and the martyrs of Gorkum.^[5] The left chapel is dedicated to Padre Pio and contains a statue of his.

Interior

Nave and apse
Altar and apse
Stations of the Cross
Padre Pio chapel

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Herensingelkerk, Leiden.

References

^ Leidsche Courant (23 April 1934), De St. Josephparochie te Leiden opgeheven
^ Leidsche Courant (4 May 1955), Leiden tussen overval en bevrijding
^ Leidsche Courant (18 December 1931), De schildering in de St. Josephkerk te Leiden
^ Het Orgel, jrg. 26, no. 6, 46.
^ Leidsche Courant (25 November 1968), Nieuw altaar Herensingelkerk