Warfhuizen
Encyclopedia
Warfhuizen is a village in Groningen
, a province
in the extreme North of the Netherlands
. It is situated in the municipality
of the Marne
.
Warfhuizen consists of two man-made mounds, called wierden, designed to escape the floodwaters of the Wadden, which flooded the whole region several times a year before dykes had been constructed. The smaller mound was originally raised to protect a separate village called Burum. The village church stands on the larger mound.
of Our Lady the Garden Enclosed
, one of the few hermitages in the Netherlands still inhabited by a hermit
.
The church, which was first constructed in the 13th century, was replaced by a neo-classical building in 1858. Only the bell
survived the ages and is even one of the oldest churchbells in the Netherlands. The building is dedicated to Saint Ludger
and Our Lady under the title of "the Enclosed Garden".
The present organ
was built in 1910, but was in fact reconstructed from two organs of a much earlier date (17th and 18th century.)
The church is especially known for its statue of the Mother of Sorrows
, sculpted by one of the renowned procession-sculptors of Seville
, Miguel Bejarano Moreno
. It is because of this very Andalusia
n image that some Spaniards
living in the Netherlands use Warfhuizen as a place of (unofficial) pilgrimage
. In the last years their habit spread to all Catholics in the region and even beyond: Warfhuizen became the northernmost Maria sanctuary of continental Europe.
A peculiar custom, unique for this shrine, is 'the trading of the handkerchief'. It is said that visitors bring a new white handkerchief and ask the hermit to swap it with the one held by the sorrowful Virgin whose handkerchief is then presented to someone sick, lonely or elderly in the audience. Little is documented about this alleged custom. The origins of this particular custom are unknown, although a widespread rumor tells that it started with catholic pilgrims from the south of India
and Sri Lanka
, but the reasons behind this runor are unexplained.
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
, a province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
in the extreme North of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. It is situated in the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of the Marne
De Marne
De Marne is a municipality in the northeast of the Netherlands.- Population centres :Broek, Eenrum, Hornhuizen, Houwerzijl, Kleine Huisjes, Kloosterburen, Kruisweg, Lauwersoog, Leens, Mensingeweer, Molenrij, Niekerk, Pieterburen, Schouwerzijl, Ulrum, Vierhuizen, Warfhuizen, Wehe-den Hoorn,...
.
Warfhuizen consists of two man-made mounds, called wierden, designed to escape the floodwaters of the Wadden, which flooded the whole region several times a year before dykes had been constructed. The smaller mound was originally raised to protect a separate village called Burum. The village church stands on the larger mound.
The Church
The church belongs to the hermitageHermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
of Our Lady the Garden Enclosed
Our Lady the Garden Enclosed
The Hermitage of Our Lady, the Garden Enclosed is situated in the former parish church of Warfhuizen, a village in the extreme north of the Netherlands. The name draws upon the traditional epithet for the Virgin Mary of hortus conclusus or enclosed garden.The hermitage was founded in 2001 as the...
, one of the few hermitages in the Netherlands still inhabited by a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
.
The church, which was first constructed in the 13th century, was replaced by a neo-classical building in 1858. Only the bell
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
survived the ages and is even one of the oldest churchbells in the Netherlands. The building is dedicated to Saint Ludger
Ludger
Saint Ludger was a missionary among the Frisians and Saxons, founder of Werden Abbey and first Bishop of Münster in Westphalia....
and Our Lady under the title of "the Enclosed Garden".
The present organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
was built in 1910, but was in fact reconstructed from two organs of a much earlier date (17th and 18th century.)
The church is especially known for its statue of the Mother of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows , the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows , and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life...
, sculpted by one of the renowned procession-sculptors of Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Miguel Bejarano Moreno
Miguel Bejarano Moreno
Miguel Bejarano Moreno is a Spanish sculptor, known for his Roman Catholic statues for the famous processions of the Semana Santa...
. It is because of this very Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n image that some Spaniards
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
living in the Netherlands use Warfhuizen as a place of (unofficial) pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
. In the last years their habit spread to all Catholics in the region and even beyond: Warfhuizen became the northernmost Maria sanctuary of continental Europe.
A peculiar custom, unique for this shrine, is 'the trading of the handkerchief'. It is said that visitors bring a new white handkerchief and ask the hermit to swap it with the one held by the sorrowful Virgin whose handkerchief is then presented to someone sick, lonely or elderly in the audience. Little is documented about this alleged custom. The origins of this particular custom are unknown, although a widespread rumor tells that it started with catholic pilgrims from the south of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, but the reasons behind this runor are unexplained.