The predecessor of the present church was built in 1314 within the city walls of St. Jorispoort. The present church dates from 1853 and is built in a neo-Gothic style.
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| Picture by Harry Fabel |
In 1846, priest Jan Van Cauwenbergh bought the former church grounds back after they were used to building houses. After the demolition of those houses, architect 'Leon Suys' from Amsterdam began the rebuilding of the new neo-gothic church. The neo-gothic style was a real revolution in Antwerp after 250 years of baroque-style building.
As a symbol of the unstoppable faith of the priest, some of the original church's stones were built into the walls of the new church. In 1853 the church was finished and could be initiated. Later, in 1871 the murals of 'Godfried Guffens' and 'Jan Swerts' were added and initiated by Cardinal Deschamps. The furniture and decoration inside the church form one stylistic whole. In the years that follow, the spikes also got their crowns.