St. John’s Basilica
The Basilica of St. John the Baptist, or St. John’s Basilica, is the principal Roman Catholic church in Oosterhout.
Archaeological excavations have revealed that a small Romanesque three-aisled church already stood on this site in 1277. Around 1473, work began on replacing this small church with a Gothic-style church. The church was completed in 1493. Construction on the tower took place from 1519 to 1552. It was inspired by the tower of the Grote Kerk in Breda but was never completed.
Although the vast majority of Oosterhout’s population remained Roman Catholic during the Eighty Years’ War, St. John’s Church passed into Protestant hands following the Peace of Münster in 1648. In 1809, the church returned to Catholic hands by decree of Louis Napoleon. The condition was that the Catholics pay 7,000 guilders as a contribution toward a new Protestant church building on Rulstraat (Vredeskerk).
In the 1880s, the church was enlarged, and the famous architect Cuypers added two additional side aisles. To mark the parish’s 700th anniversary and the completion of the renovation, Pope Paul VI elevated the church to the status of a minor basilica in 1977.
Dur…
Archaeological excavations have revealed that a small Romanesque three-aisled church already stood on this site in 1277. Around 1473, work began on replacing this small church with a Gothic-style church. The church was completed in 1493. Construction on the tower took place from 1519 to 1552. It was inspired by the tower of the Grote Kerk in Breda but was never completed.
Although the vast majority of Oosterhout’s population remained Roman Catholic during the Eighty Years’ War, St. John’s Church passed into Protestant hands following the Peace of Münster in 1648. In 1809, the church returned to Catholic hands by decree of Louis Napoleon. The condition was that the Catholics pay 7,000 guilders as a contribution toward a new Protestant church building on Rulstraat (Vredeskerk).
In the 1880s, the church was enlarged, and the famous architect Cuypers added two additional side aisles. To mark the parish’s 700th anniversary and the completion of the renovation, Pope Paul VI elevated the church to the status of a minor basilica in 1977.
During the tourist season (July through mid-September), the church is open weekly from Thursday through Saturday from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
This text has been translated using AI.