The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is located at Kerkstraat 15 in Oss. This church is also known as the Great Church and was built in the Neo-Gothic style. The building was designed by architect Henri (Hendrik Jacobus) van Tulder (1819-1903). The church was built between 1857 and 1859 and is a replacement for the medieval St. Willibrordus Church from 1400, which stood on the same site.
The church's interior is inspired by that of St. John's Cathedral in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Many of the statues in the church were made by woodcarver Hendrik van der Geld (1838-1914), who created many Neo-Gothic church interiors. The stained-glass windows were made by the Parisian-born stained-glass artist Jean-Baptiste Capronnier (1814-1891), who also worked on St. John's Cathedral in nearby ‘s-Hertogenbosch. He and architect Henri van Tulder knew each other, and both lived in Schaarbeek, Belgium. The church features a particularly beautiful Chapel of Mary. The church is a national monument.
On the south side of the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Kerkstraat, a memorial has been erected. This is the “Triumphant Mary, flanked by two angels” from 1894. This unique sculpture is the initiative of parish priest and dean Arnoldus van de Laar (1826-1899). The memorial is a token of gratitude for the restored peace in Oss. It is an expression of thanks for the fulfilment of a promise. After all, in 1893, the "Bende van Oss" (Oss Gang) sowed death and destruction. For years, a wave of crime plagued the region.
Mary is central to the sculpture group. She stands on a globe, crushing a snake with an apple in its mouth. This symbolises the overcoming of evil. Mary is depicted with folded hands, shown in prayer. The sculpture group was designed by Lambert Hezenmans (1841-1909) from ‘s-Hertogenbosch, a restoration architect, draughtsman and painter. The statues were made by the Antwerp sculptor (Jan) Frans De Vriendt (1829-1919). The style of the three statues is Neo-Gothic. The statue of Mary is 2.10 metres tall, and the statues of the angels are both 1.80 metres tall. The material of the three statues is Savonnières, French limestone. The statues are interconnected by a wrought-iron fence and are placed on square, bluestone plinths of 2 metres high. The inscription on the left plinth reads “In memory of the fateful year 1893”. On the plinth of the statue of Mary it says “I am the Immaculate Conception. I am Guardian of this place”. The right plinth states: “In thanksgiving for the happy outcome in 1894”. In 1894, the sculpture group was unveiled and consecrated. It is a national monument.
