Leuven Living: Going to Mass

As I get used to living in Leuven, one thing I have been able to do from the start is to continue my daily habit of going to mass. There are two churches I go to. The first one, St Peter’s (Sint-Pieterskirk), is the main church located in the town center. This is where I go to mass on Saturdays and Sundays, since this is the closest to my apartment.

On weekdays, I go to St Gertrude’s (Sint-Gertrui), a Benedictine abbey, which has the town’s earliest mass at 8am. Fortunately for me, it is exactly on the way to the office.

The mass is in Dutch, and I don’t understand a word, although of course if you know how the mass goes, you can follow. What strikes me attending mass here is there is the absence of kneeling. In fact, there are no kneelers. Most of the mass is spent sitting down, with the people only standing up during the gospel, the consecration, and the Our Father.  

Not surprisingly, most of the people who attend mass are old people; the young people are nowhere in sight. Surprise! No Filipinos to be found either.

 Half a euro to light a candle.

Detail of gargoyles at the side of St. Peter’s. Nothing more than nice downspouts hehe.

Interior of St. Peter’s. No kneelers, and heaters instead of electric fans.