Pilgrimage Traditions — Sint‑Catharina en Sint‑Corneliuskerk, Diegem

For centuries, the church has attracted large numbers of pilgrims. Their offerings were collected in an imposing oak donation chest, roughly hewn and secured with three heavy padlocks, large enough to hold substantial contributions. A curious feature can be found at the rear of the church: a small service window recalling an old custom whereby parishioners offered live animals—such as rabbits, chickens, or geese—as donations. After Mass, these animals were auctioned for the benefit of the church. According to local legend, one farmer succeeded in offering the same goose eight times, each time buying it back after the service. The prosperity of the church administration is reflected in the richness of the interior. The walls are lined with wooden panelling, adorned with a fully carved wooden Stations of the Cross, remarkable in its own right. Also noteworthy are the medieval frescoes of the apostles, painted on the pillars of the central nave, as well as the choir windows, some of which date from the 18th century. Several stained-glass windows were destroyed during wartime bombardments and were replaced in the early 1960s with more contemporary designs.

Meunier Constantin - Bedevaart op paasmaandag te Diegem (dieghem). Constantin Émile Meunier (Etterbeek, 12 april 1831 – Elsene, 4 april 1905) was een Belgische beeldhouwer, schilder en graficus. Hij is de broer van de graficus Jean-Baptiste Meunier en de oom van Henri Meunier.

Eekhoud - Kermesses, 1884. Georges Eekhoud Boek : Kermesses van Henry Kistemaeckers, éditeur, 1884 (pp. 114-126).