Saint Joseph's Church, Brussels
Saint Joseph's Church is a church situated on Frère Orban Square in the Leopold Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. Built between 1842 and 1849 in eclectic style, it is a national sanctuary dedicated to Saint Joseph, who has been the patron saint of Belgium since 1679.History and Architecture
Inspired by the church of Trinità dei Monti in Rome, the architect Tilman-François Suys decided to created a church resembling one of Rome's many basilicas with a flat apse choir. The first stone of the building was laid by Cardinal Engelbert Sterckx on 6 April 1842. The Apostolic Nuncio, Cardinal Giacomo Cattani, consecrated the church on 24 June 1874 and also made it the National Shrine of Saint Joseph.
The church was occupied by the Redemptorists for many decades until it was looked after by the Syriac Orthodox from 1989 to 2001. It was then acquired by the Priory of Christ the King of the Society of St. Pius X, offering a much needed place of worship for their growing number of parishioners.
The church has three naves measuring a total of long and wide. Its vault is high and is supported by two rows of Corinthian columns that separate the two aisles of the main church.
The building received protected status through a royal decree issued on 13 May 1981.
