The church belongs to the
hermitage of
Our Lady of the Enclosed Garden, one of the few hermitages in the Netherlands still inhabited by a
hermit. The church, which was first constructed in the 13th century, was replaced by a neo-classical building in 1858. Only the
bell survived the ages and is even one of the oldest churchbells in the Netherlands. The building is dedicated to Saint
Ludger and
Our Lady under the title of "the Enclosed Garden". The present
organ was built in 1910, but was in fact reconstructed from two organs of a much earlier date (17th and 18th century.) The church is especially known for its statue of the
Mother of Sorrows, sculpted by one of the renowned procession-sculptors of
Seville,
Miguel Bejarano Moreno. It is because of this very
Andalusian image that some
Spaniards living in the Netherlands use Warfhuizen as a place of (unofficial)
pilgrimage. In the last years their habit spread to all Catholics in the region and even beyond: Warfhuizen became the northernmost Marian sanctuary of continental Europe. A peculiar custom, unique for this shrine, is 'the
trading of the handkerchief'. It is said that visitors bring a new white handkerchief and ask the hermit to swap it with the one held by the sorrowful
Virgin whose handkerchief is then presented to someone sick, lonely or elderly in the audience. Little is documented about this alleged custom. The origins of this particular custom are unknown, although a widespread rumor tells that it started with catholic pilgrims from the south of
India and
Sri Lanka, but the reasons behind this rumor are unexplained. == Gallery ==