Sacred Heart Statue Beek

The Sacred Heart statue at the Michaëlkerk in Beek en Donk is a classic statue by August Falise. The Dutchman Falise (1875 - 1936) designed many Sacred Heart statues, particularly in the 1920s. He did this at the request of the Roman Catholic Church. In particular, the well-known theologian Father Titus Brandsma, a close friend of Falise, provided the sculptor with many commissions. The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ is shaped by the love and mercy symbolised by Jesus' Heart, as is evident from all the Sacred Heart statues made in the Netherlands by various artists in the 1920s. The Sacred Heart statue at St Michael's Church, located to the north of the west wing, is a bronze cast statue. It depicts a blessed Christ with a winged heart. The statue is about two metres high and stands on a brick plinth. It was probably made in 1925 and placed by the Saint Anthony's Guild in 1982. In 2002, the statue was listed as a National Monument: 'as an example of church art production, particularly the work of the renowned sculptor Falis' was the reason for this. The statue in Beek en Donk is not unique. Another cast of this Sacred Heart statue can be found in Noorbeek in Limburg.