St. Lambertus Church in Vessem

The origins of St. Lambert’s Church date back to the Middle Ages; it was founded because local residents would otherwise have had to travel too far to attend church—to Bergeijk or Oirschot. At that time, the right to appoint priests in Vessem rested with the chapter of Oirschot. The residents of Vessem had to raise the funds for the church and the priest themselves, in addition to paying certain dues to the mother church. Between 1648 and 1881 (when the current church was built), major maintenance work was regularly carried out on the medieval church. The annals reveal, among other things:   In 1718, slate roofer Bartel Basaert from Luijksgestel was killed in an accident while replacing the slate on the spire.

In 1754/1755, a large section of the tower was demolished and rebuilt. This project cost 630 guilders, partly paid for by the provincial government in Den Bosch. As early as 1757, it became apparent that the part of the tower where the bells hung was in a state of disrepair. This was repaired for 300 guilders by Hendrik Verhees of Boxtel, who received this money from the chapter and the village council. During the French period, churches throughout the Southern Netherlands were once again taken over by Catholics. In Vessem, this occurred in 1798 for a fee of 1,900 guilders plus 36 guilders for the pews. The church’s interior is unique in the Netherlands, featuring numerous original paintings by Joseph Lommen. Be sure to check if the church is open so you can enjoy this beautiful interior and light a candle. 

This text has been translated using AI.