St. Antonius Abtkerk named most beautiful church in the Netherlands

The St. Antonius Abt Church on Scheveningseweg in The Hague has been named the ‘Mooiste Kerk van Nederland’ (Most Beautiful Church in the Netherlands) by the newspaper Trouw. Following over 1,100 reader submissions, a jury selected the church, which was built between 1926 and 1927. Jury chair Herman Wesselink described the building as an exuberant Catholic ‘total concept’ that is unique in the Netherlands, noting its colorful mosaic designed by Antoon Molkenboer.

Despite this recognition, the Roman Catholic parish Maria Sterre der Zee has announced that the St. Antonius Abt Church is one of four churches in The Hague slated for closure in the coming years. The parish cited an aging congregation, a shortage of volunteers, and structural financial deficits as reasons for the decision. To maintain a viable community, the parish plans to consolidate its activities into two locations: the H. Jacobus de Meerderekerk and the Onze Lieve Vrouw Onbevlekt Ontvangen.