In the Ganzestraat on the outskirts of Hapert, you will find the 'Mary Chapel' where the Rosary is prayed during the month of May. The first thing that strikes the eye is the beautiful wrought iron fence. So I spent some extra time on that.
The statue of the Virgin Mary comes from the now demolished Marian school and in real life it is a lot smaller than the illustration suggests. However, I thought it would be a bit of a waste to hide the statue in that dark space, which is why I allowed myself some artistic freedom.
The chapel dates back to the Marian year 1954 and since then many candles have been burned there as a symbol of the Light overcoming the Darkness. The chapel is also used as a rest altar during processions and as a memorial chapel in memory of the fallen in the Dutch East Indies. In addition, the chapel is a thanksgiving for the safe return of soldiers from this former Dutch colony.
The initiator of the construction of the Maria chapel was the first chaplain of Hapert 'H. van der Hart'. He was a very creative man who not only designed the chapel but also took care of the wrought iron fence and the sculptures on the corners. He was helped by craftsmen from Hapert who did the work for free. See: https://www.karennijst.nl/hapert-impressie-dorp-kempen-noord-brabant/
Karen Nijst has lived in and near her beloved hometown of Maastricht for many years. She currently works as a web developer (Kahlo Websites in Hapert, Brabant) and is responsible for both programming and graphic design . The latter has undoubtedly influenced some of the drawings you can see.. Read more…