The holy woods

As early as in 1790 a stone madonna statuette was found sitting against the trunk of an age-old oak tree in the Melberg Woods (D'Ierdt). The statue was called upon by sufferers from fever in particular.

Because of the increasing number of  pilgrims, a small chapel was erected in 1820 and it 1936 it had to be replaced by a bigger, stone one, because the number of pilgrims kept increasing steadily.

... It was on a warm, sunny day in July 1981, when Bertha Olaerts and a friend went for a walk in the Melberg Woods. When they wanted to go home at about 5.30, after saying a roseary, Bertha saw a bright white light in the bottom branches of the pine trees. Suddenly many religious symbols appeared: lighted crucifixes, chalices, snakes and bleeding hosts.
Heavily impressed, Bertha went home. That night she had a vision. She saw how Jesus blessed the woods and she saw herself enter the woods to say the rosary. There, before her, rosary in hand the young Maria appeared before her and spoke to her, 'This place is holy and will remain holy forever'.

The next day Bertha had another vision. She saw how Maria was wallking through the woods with a small group of people. A voice sounded, 'Maria will come and bring great news on the 8th of the month, one of her great festivals'.

… And that is why since 1981, on every 8th of the month, there is a procession through the Melberg Woods.

On the 8th of each month:
2.30 pm - procession and rosary prayers in the holy woods, Melberg, D'Ierdstraat.