St. Martin’s Church Eindhoven – Catholic church in Tongelre
St. Martin’s Church stands in the center of ‘t Hofke, the old ring-shaped village center of Tongelre. Anyone walking up from Tongelresestraat will see the church directly in their line of sight—exactly as it was intended when Tongelre was still an independent parish village. The Neo-Gothic cruciform basilica was built around 1890 based on a design by architect E. Corbey, a student of Pierre Cuypers.
Corbey drew heavily on French examples: the 13th-century Gothic style of the Île-de-France is evident throughout the building. In the central entrance portal hangs a display case in which the church’s facade is juxtaposed with that of Notre-Dame in Paris. The resemblance is unmistakable. Above the main entrance is a tiled panel depicting Saint Martin, who, according to tradition, shared his cloak with a beggar.
What makes St. Martin’s Church most remarkable is what is missing. Funds ran out during construction—more than a third of the costs were ultimately paid out of Pastor Van Kessel’s own pocket—and as a result, the two towers remained unfinished. The spires that were designed were never built, and the niches in the facade have always remained empty. It is precisely this sense of incompleteness that gives the church its unique character.
The religious community itself is much older than the building. The parish of Tongelre is first mentioned in a list of parishes of the Archdeaconry of Kempenland dating from around 1400. Its medieval predecessor stood a few dozen meters away on the old village square and was demolished in 1891, once the new church was completed.
The interior has been preserved in its original state, and the church is a national historic monument. It stands in the heart of a neighborhood that has never completely lost its village character: surrounding the same Hofke are the old town hall from 1911 and some of Eindhoven’s oldest residential homes. Everyone is welcome to stop by during opening hours.
Opening hours
- Church: Tuesday 8:45–10:15 a.m. and Sunday 9:00–10:45 a.m.
- Parish Center (to the left of the church): Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Open consultation hours (Chaplain Arockia): Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Address and contact information
't Hofke 153, 5641 AK Eindhoven
Phone: (040) 281 13 24
Email: kwctongelre@parochiesintjoris.nl
Sources
Pastoral Center
Sint Jorislaan 51,
5614 AA Eindhoven