Celebrating Southern Door Heritage

The Namur Belgian Heritage Foundation has much to celebrate, and now much more to do, after it acquired the historic St. Mary of the Snows church building in Namur Aug. 30.

The former church had been slated for demolition by the Catholic diocese after the Brussels and Namur parishes were combined in 2001, and it has been closed to the public for 10 years. The building was transferred from the parish to the Namur Belgian Heritage Foundation (NBHF) for $1 after several conditions were met. The foundation, an affiliation of concerned citizens, had to promise the building would not be abandoned, returned to the parish, or used for immoral purposes. They also had to demonstrate they could raise $20,000 for repairs by August 17, a number they more than doubled by the deadline.

St. Mary of the Snows is in dire need of repairs.

The church, founded in 1860, is the spiritual center of the Namur National Landmark Historic District, which was designated as a National Landmark by the Department of Interior in 1990. The surrounding 3,500 acres – with its unique architecture of Belgian homes, summer kitchens, roadside chapels, and family farms – is one of only 40 national Historic Landmarks in Wisconsin.

Bill Chaudoir, NBHF chairman, says community support was instrumental in saving the building and that they also received international support in the form of a donation from a Belgian organization. Gifts of money, time, and materials have allowed emergency repairs to stabilize the building to begin.

“The building is in remarkable shape for its age, but the roof needed repairs and we are addressing some plumbing and heating concerns as well,” Chaudoir says. The parish and diocese also required the foundation to present their reuse plans as part of the transfer. Chaudoir says plans are underway for a new use for the building as the Wisconsin Belgian Heritage Center. The concept is still in its formative stage, but the general intent is for some type of a visitor and educational center. “We would like the building to be the center of a Belgian experience, a destination where visitors can come to learn about this unique district and to celebrate the history of the Belgian Americans who began to settle here in the 1850s.”

On Sunday Sept. 26, citizens will have an opportunity to view the inside of the church and to walk the grounds when a special Kermis, a traditional Belgian harvest festival, will be held to celebrate the saving of the church building. The Kermis will run from 11 am – 5 pm on the former church grounds located at the curve of County Highway DK in Namur. The church is located next to the official state historic marker.

The Kermis celebration will feature the traditional Belgian fare of trippe, booyah, and Belgian pie. A cooyah card tournament, pie-baking contest, and live music will also be part of the event. Belgian Historian Dr. Bill Laatsch will make a presentation at 1 and 3 pm, and attendees are encouraged to bring old photos of the church and Belgian settlement. Dr. Laatsch, an expert on the Historic District, will discuss the Belgian immigration experience and how the church was an integral part of that experience, the effect of the Peshtigo Fire on the settlement, and the community that rose from the ashes. Local stained glass artist Gary Chaudoir will demonstrate glass fusing and slumping.

All proceeds from the event will help repair the church and support the establishment of the new Wisconsin Belgian Heritage Center. The church needs an estimated $75,000 in repairs, and funds will go first to repairs, then to the reuse plan. Call Carol Price at 920.825.1353 to pre-register for the cooyah tournament, or call Jenny Jandrin 920.825.7261 for details about participating in the Belgian pie-baking contest

St. Mary of the Snows Benefit Kermiss

The church is at the center of the historic Belgian settlement in Southern Door.

Sept. 26, 11 am – 5 pm, Hwy DK in Namur

Contact: 920.825.7261

Donations can also be sent to the Namur Belgian Heritage Foundation, PO Box 173, Brussels, WI 54204