St Michael’s Church (Sint Michaëlkerk) in Woudsend is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the North of the Netherlands. It was built in 1792 and is located between Midstrjitte street and Merkstrjitte street with the entrance facing Merkstrjitte street. The church is definitely worth visiting. The beautiful statues, leaded glass windows, paintings and, above all, the intimate scale of the interior leave a lasting impression.
Church paintings
The paintings in the church were done by Frisian artists Otto de Boer, born in Woudsend in 1797, and Jacob Ydema, born in Greonterp near Blauwhuis in 1901, and are extremely valuable. The church is open from 13:30 to 17:00 on Saturdays during the summer months.
Clandestine church
The church was built as a clandestine church to allow private worship in the 17th and 18th centuries, when those of the Roman Catholic and Mennonite faiths were not permitted to erect conspicuous places of worship. Since the purpose of the building had to be concealed, the church did not have a tower in those days. The tower was not built until 1933.
