About 30 relatives of Jules D’Hoore listened to the remarkable story of their ancestor on Wednesday in the church of Saint Godelieve Abbey. Exactly 108 years ago, Jules managed to prevent an arson attack by retreating German soldiers.
“On the day that the Germans had to retreat from here, they apparently planned to set the abbey on fire,” says Kristof Lataire, project leader for the repurposing of St. Godelieve Abbey.
“The church was completely filled with straw, up to above the pulpit. Jules D’Hoore happened to pass by and was able to convince a soldier not to light the fire. In the end, all that straw was left behind. According to tradition, the sisters were able to use it to heat their heating for ten years afterward.”
Brave
Françoise Verfaillie, researcher of the archive, delved into the extensive archives of Saint Godelieve Abbey. There she found two handwritten documents mentioning the name of Jules D’Hoore and his courageous intervention.
“The Necrologium is a kind of register in which the sisters kept track of who they had to pray for,” says Françoise Verfaillie. “Different names were noted for each day of the year. Jules D’Hoore is also mentioned. He died on July 20, 1937. In addition, his story was also found in a notebook with war reports from the abbey.”
