Sint-Catharinakerk, Gothic church in Diest, Belgium.

Sint-Catharinakerk is a Gothic church in Diest built of iron sandstone, now whitewashed outside. Its nave has six bays with twelve slender columns, a transept, and a choir with a seven-sided apse. The west facade has a tall window above the entrance; inside, a rococo stucco vault replaced the wooden ceiling in the 18th century.

The Beguines received permission to build their own church in 1247 from Abbot Thomas of Sint-Truiden, and Arnold IV, Lord of Diest, formally granted it in April 1253. A 1265 charter first mentions a chapel, later replaced by the present church, whose consecration was set for Saint Anne's feast day, 25 July 1314, when only the choir and part of the transept stood under a straw roof. Slate replaced the straw in 1321, the roof and ridge turret were raised by 1344-1345, and construction ended in the late 15th century.

The interior displays artworks from Flemish painters across centuries, showing the artistic strength of the region. These pieces shape how visitors today experience and understand the space.

The floor inside was raised about 1.30 m in 1822, so the bases of the columns now sit below the present walking level; look for the exposed original level at one column. The church stands within the Beguinage, reached by cobbled lanes lined with beguine houses.

The baroque pulpit is carried not by angels but by four female saints: Catherine, Begga, Agnes and Mary Magdalene, the last tucked beneath the stair. The church was reserved for the Beguines, and this detail is easily missed.