Sint-Michielskerk, Catholic parish church in Kortrijk, Belgium

Sint-Michielskerk is a red-brick church with light stone trim in the historic center of Kortrijk, Belgium. Its front facade rises to a steep triangular gable topped by a stone cross, with a tall pointed window divided by stone tracery. A square brick bell tower with a tall pointed spire, arched windows and a clock stands to the right. Inside, a light-grey stone nave with pointed arches and clustered columns leads to a curved apse holding five tall stained-glass windows in blue and red.

The church was built between 1607 and 1611 by city architect Jan Persijn for the Jesuit community, replacing an earlier 14th-century chapel known as the Holy Spirit Chapel. At the end of the 19th century the interior was remodeled in the neo-Gothic style, and in 1993 the Jesuits handed the building over to a local group called the Sint-Michielsbeweging.

The 13th-century statue of Our Lady of Groeninge, kept in a 1947 neo-Byzantine chapel, was given to the Groeninge Abbey by Countess Beatrijs, who died there in 1288. Her heart was later sealed in a lead casket in the church wall, marked by two marble plaques. The chapel's stained-glass windows tell the statue's story and legend.

The church is in the old town center of Kortrijk and easy to reach on foot from most central points of interest. Visiting on a sunny day is a good idea if you want to see the stained glass windows at their best, as natural light brings out the colors clearly.

The church burned out in the bombing of 21 July 1944, but the side altar of Saint Michael survived. Since the 13th-century statue of Our Lady of Groeninge was moved here in 1841, this altar has served as its veneration altar. The heart of Countess Beatrijs, who died in 1288, is walled into the church in a lead casket, marked by two marble plaques.