The National Basilica of the Sacred Heart - Parc Elisabeth, Brussels, Belgium


Architect
 Albert Van Huffel
Date Built
 1919 - 1969
Location
 In the Parc Elisabeth on Koekelberg Hill in Brussels
Description
Also known as the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg, this massive church building, built of brick and reinforced concrete, has two thin towers and a green copper dome that rises 89 metres above the ground.  It is the fifth largest church building in the world and is regarded as the largest art deco building.  The construction of the building stretched over several decades and along the way the architect, Van Huffel, died in 1935 and his assistant, the engineer-architect Paul Rome, finished the project. 


















The image below shows the sculpture in the grounds of the Basilica dedicated to Father Damien.  Now known as Saint Damien of Molokai, he was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium who won recognition for his ministry to people with leprosy in Hawaii.  He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.