Saint Rumbold (alternatively: Rumold, Romuold, Rumoldus (Latin), Rombout (Dutch), Rombaut (French)) was an Irish or Scottish Christian missionary, although his true nationality is not known for certain.[1][2][3] He was martyred near Mechelen by two men, whom he had denounced for their evil ways.[4]
Saint Rumbold’s feast day is celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church, and Western Rite Orthodox Churches, on June 24;[4][5] and it is celebrated in Ireland on 3 July.[6][7] He is the patron saint of Mechelen,[4] where St. Rumbold’s Cathedral possesses an elaborate golden shrine on its high altar, containing relics attributed to the saint. It is rumoured that his remains are buried inside the cathedral. Twenty-five paintings in the choir illustrate his life.
Tags: Belgium, Cathedral, Malines, Mechelen, St Rumbold, St Rumbold’s Cathedral, Weekend away
The monumental pulpit, sculpted in 1721-1723 by Michiel Vervoort (1667-17-37) from Antwerp. It was first placed in the conventional church of the Nobertine nuns of Leliendael (Bruul, actual Jesuit church), there it stood at full width against a plain wall. After the French revelution it was transferred to the cathedral in 1809 and Jan Frans van Geel (1756-1830) reconstructed it around a pillar.
Above to the right the Fall of man, and to the left, the salvation are represented. At the bottom saint Norbert (1080-1134) is flung off his horse and repents himself (1100). The grand construction in solid oak-wood is particularity well known by the representation of the Earthy Paradise with its different animals: pelican, salamander, squirrel, snakes, snail and frog. The most beautiful small angel next to the stairs is a fine idea of the artist.*
From Sint-Romboutskathedraal MECHELEN (English Edition)*
Tags: Belgium, Cathedral, Malines, Mechelen, Pulpit, St Rumbold’s Cathedral, Weekend away
The main altar of white marble and black tough-stone is a present of arch-bishop Andreas Cruesen (1657-1666) whose white armorial bearings draw attention on the black bases of the columns. The sculptor-architect Lucas Fayd’herbe (1617-1697), built the porch-altar according to a design of willem Hees or Hesius (1601-1690). The still simple and equilibrated but majestically built baroque altar dominates the volume of the choir, especially with the theatrical 3.75 meters high stature of St Rombout on top of it.
The arched space with the doors and the huge gradin of gilt wood were cut by A. Quellin the Younger (1625-1700); the doors hide the relics-chest with the bones of Saint Rombout. It is work from 1825 by the Mechelen goldsmith J.Fr. van Deuren. At important feast-days the door wings are open in order to show the gilt copper reliquary with its scenes in embossed silver representing events from the life of the town’s patron.*
From Sint-Romboutskathedraal MECHELEN (English Edition)*
Tags: Belgium, Cathedral, Malines, Mechelen, St Rumbold's Cathedral, Weekend away
St Rumbold’s Cathedral was built in the thirteenth century. From the outset it was larger and more impressive than all the other parish churches and later on it became ‘the church of the archbishops’. Originally there was a triple-nave cruciform church on the site of the vast cathedral. Only after a series of building campaigns did the church become our city’s star attraction.
In the religious wars in the sixteenth century the church took some hard knocks. Much of the old interior was lost to iconoclasms and plundering. Calvinist rule at the end of that century removed all references to Catholic worship. But the church had even more storms to weather. In the Second World War Mechelen was bombed and in 1972 a huge fire broke out. St Rumbold’s Cathedral withstood them all.
The inside of the cathedral is breathtaking. You can admire Anthony van Dyck’s painting ‘Christ on the Cross’, along with works by (among others) Michel Coxcie, Gaspard de Crayer and Abraham Janssens. The real showpiece, however, has to be the high altar by Lucas Faydherbe which dates from 1665.
Tags: Belgium, Cathedral, Malines, Mechelen, St Rumbold’s Cathedral, Weekend away
As part of the Easter celebrations my local parish church erects a wooden cross and adorns it with flowers. This is done by the congregation just before the Easter morning service. I think it is a lovely idea and little children bring flowers to place on the Easter Cross. The Church ‘Flower Ladies’ help to adorn the cross with the flowers.
The top photo was taken by me later in the day after it had stopped raining. The one below (not taken by me) shows my Mum and and a friend of hers after they had finished placing the last of the flowers on the cross.
Tags: All Saints Church, Angel, Angels, Easter Cross, Flowers, Mum
For I remember it is Easter morn, and life and love and peace are all new born.
Alice Freeman Palmer
Tags: Cherie's Place Thought, Hodnet Hall Gardens
