Cadier en Keer No. 1

Pol Herman, in a communication to BSI (e-mail of 13 December 202i) informs that there are two stone vessels (a font and a stoup) in this church: 1) Original Romanesque baptismal font presumably 1266. In the past, an older baptismal font probably still served. This round tub, now broken into several pieces, dates from or shortly after 1266 (foundation of the parish) and currently functions as a flower box and stands on the lawn on Kerkstraat along the path to the cemetery. Diameter 75 cm. When you walk up the path towards the cemetery via Kerkstraat, you will immediately see a round, cut-out stone on your right that apparently does not belong in an old cemetery. This stone, in summer time used as a flower box, has a diameter of about 75 cm. We are dealing here with the bluestone tub of a baptismal font, probably made in or shortly after 1266. In that year Cadier became an independent parish by separating from the mother church of Heugem. The old baptismal font is a simple stone tub, without any profile or ornament. Height 45 cm, with a diameter of 75 cm. Presumably from 1266. The baptismal font probably served until 1836, when the old church was renovated and expanded. Much of the furniture from the abbey of Val-Dieu had been transferred to the old parish church at that time. It is possible that the second baptismal font in our church was originally a holy water font there. When the more recent holy water font was used as a baptismal font, the old baptismal font had to give way and was moved to the garden of the rectory, where the tub served as a drinking trough for the chickens. After the construction of the new church in 1958 and the demolition of the old rectory (1960), the font was moved to the lawn of the cemetery, in front of the church tower, where it served as a planter. At the initiative of Jonkheid Keer 2000, the font was excavated and cleaned around 2012. A new lid has also been made and the font has been placed back in the church. Now the font is again serving for what it was originally intended for. [cf. BSI entry for Cadier en Keer No. 2 for a later stone holy-water stoup in this church].