Kerk, St. Janstraat 40

English translation

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Description

Introduction.

The CHURCH of St. John the Baptist was built in 1928-1929 to designs by the Breda architect J.H. Berben and replaces the village church situated elsewhere and later demolished, dating from the late Gothic period. The building shows a mixture of Traditionalist and Expressionist forms with Gothicizing motifs. The design was simplified during execution by the firm C. Buckens at Standdaarbuiten and the NV. Albouw at Breda. The crossing tower was thereby reduced in size. The presbytery of 1928 was destroyed in 1944 and replaced in 1951 by a new building by architect Hurks. This presbytery falls outside the protected status.

Description.

Three-aisled cruciform church, built of machine-made brick with rich brick decorative motifs. Gabled roofs covered with slate and rubberoid slate, on the crossing a lofty octagonal tower. Broad wooden gutter boards. The church consists of a short nave of 2 vaulted bays, preceded by an organ gallery with flanking bell tower and a three-part entrance porch. The transept has one bay, on the choir side a choir bay of one section and a lower choir with five-sided closure. Nave, transept and choir bay are surrounded by a flat-roofed ambulatory with side chapels. Against the ambulatory to the left and right of the entrance side chapels under hipped roofs, against the transept ambulatory projecting confessionals under half-hipped roofs. The choir has a low series of side chapels with two-sided closures. To the left and right of this choir sacristies and ancillary rooms under hipped roofs. The masonry of ambulatory, side chapels and ancillary rooms has high-placed slot windows executed in brick with stepped herringbone arches and sometimes pointed arches. The windows are filled with stained glass and locally coupled in groups of three. The entrance porch has low-set pointed arches and three doors decorated with ironwork under pointed arches. The porch is generously laid out because of the vehicle blessings in relation to the St. Christopher devotion practised in the church. To the right of the entrance a memorial tablet executed in travertine and bronze for the chaplain A. Verhagen who died in 1944. The gable of the organ bay has climbing niches with stained-glass lights. On the corner of this bay and the gable of the nave a square bell tower with a pavilion roof and dials in coloured tiles. The gables of nave, transepts and choir have with climbing niches a lofty character and are crowned with sturdy crosses executed in brick. They are supported by diagonal flying arches. The transept gables have above the ambulatory sturdy pointed arch windows with fork tracery with six brick diamond-shaped fillings with stained glass by L. Asperslagh. The crossing tower has sound holes and a high spire with ball, cross and cock. Internally the church is entirely executed in fair-faced brickwork in yellow brick, with decorations in mosaic and terracotta. The low-set pointed arches and the great breadth of the space create a centralizing effect. The concrete pointed-barrel vaults of nave, transept and crossing are finished with pumice mortar. The roof trusses are also cast in concrete. The processional ambulatory has wooden beam ceilings. The chapels and the choir ambulatory have brick groin vaults. Everywhere in the springings of the arches and vaults we find decorative brickwork. The crossing columns consist of green glazed terracotta which, like the holy water basins, was supplied by the firm Van der Lint from Delft. On the triumphal arch the text 'Praise the Lord all peoples/Praise him all nations'. In the church older furnishings, including a baptismal font from the 19th century, statues of the Holy Family, John the Baptist, the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Anna, Joseph, Gerard, Apollonia, Anthony, Theresa and ex-votos of the St. Bernard devotion. Furthermore a statue of St. Bernard and a statue of St. Christopher (L.J. Thissen 1930). The communion rail in polished black marble and the high altar in marble and bronze work are designed by the architect. The Stations of the Cross and wall paintings are by Joannes Collette. In the spandrels above the dividing arches mosaics of the apostles and church fathers.

Valuation.

The church is of general importance. The building has cultural-historical value as a particular expression of the development of Catholicism in the south and is also of value as an example of the typological development of the centralized parish church. It is a rare example of the adaptation of religion to contemporary developments, in particular the phenomenon of vehicle blessing. It is also of importance as an example of the technical development of concrete construction in the Interbellum period. The building has architectural-historical value through its distinctive style and detailing and is of value as an example of the work of architect Berben. It has ensemble values because of its location in the centre of Hoeven and its striking silhouette effect. It has been preserved in good condition.