Malmedy / Malmünd / Måmdiy

The baptismal font located at the east end of the nave, by the south altar appears relatively modern, perhaps of the 18th-century re-bulding as suggested in the entry in BALaT KIK-IRPA [https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/10091739] [accessed 25 February 2026]: "fonts baptismaux [...] marbre [...] hauteur: 103 cm [...] Date: 1791 - 1800 [...] Cf. couvercle : 10091741". [NB: we have no informatin on the font of the medieval abbey church here].
A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 1 February 2026): "I was studying the history of the church Saint-Quirin at Houdremont. This church is of no importance to BSI, because the first baptismal font was only installed in 1884 and has been replaced in 1958 (the church being destroyed in 1944 during the war). https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/10087456 -- More interesting is that there existed at Houdremont, since ancient times, a pilgrimage to Saint-Quirin. But around 1850, the priest of Houdremont complained that the pilgrims visited the relics to pray for healing of the wrong illnesses. They invoked Saint Quirin against skin diseases (the ailments of Saint Quellin or Saint Quoilin). This is the specialty of the well known saint Quirinus of Neuss, the Roman soldier that died as a martyr around 116. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quirinus_of_Neuss). In Houdremont, a different saint is venerated : Saint Quirin de Malmedy, the priest that accompanied bishop Nicasius of Rouen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicasius_of_Rouen) and deacon Scuvicule, who are said to have evangelized the Seine valley in France, beheaded together around 260. This saint is only interested in worshippers suffering from eye infections (opthalmia). At the beginning of the ninth century the relics of Quirinus were translated to Malmedy Abbey. Quirinus is said to have delivered the residents of Pontoise from a dragon. This dragon still features in Malmedy's coat of arms. Quirin became the principal patron saint of the Malmedy monastery. His cult had a limited religious influence in the surrounding region (Stavelot, Lierneux, Waimes, Houdremont, Huy, Sint-Truiden,...) but was often confused with and supplanted by the more famous cult of Saint Quirin of Neuss. Even Wikipedia has it wrong (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbaye_de_Malmedy). The priest however remarks : it should be noted that it still happens quite often that isolated pilgrims came to pray that Quirin will cure them of these wrong infirmities and, if they return, it is to thank him for the relief he has anyway provided. KIK-IRPA : search on Christian iconography “Quirin de Rouen”"
[NB: for the dedication to St. Quirinus of Malmedy see Philippe George's Les Miracles de saint Quirin de Malmedy, un livret hagiographique médiéval au cœur du XVIe siècle (Université de Liège)]