The name “Wildert” already appears in 1412 and refers to “wilderness”. The place where the village later emerges was then an uninhabited, overgrown area.
In Wildert, a sub-municipality of Essen, located in the Northern Kempen region, there is a Lourdes grotto. The large grotto is situated behind the church and in front of the cemetery, on De Vondert; the Rose Grononpad.
The effigy of Mary stands in a niche at approximately 2 metres height, and the statue of the kneeling Bernadette is located diagonally in front of Our Lady by a spring with stones. The grotto is enclosed by a high fence. There are benches in front of the Lourdes grotto. The grotto was renovated in 2004.
The Lourdes grotto gives a well-maintained impression and is beautifully situated in the middle of the village.
The church, which stands before the Lourdes grotto, is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The current church is the second on this site. The first church dates back to 1891 and was also dedicated to St. John the Baptist, but at the end of the Second World War (1939-1945) the tower was destroyed and the church was heavily damaged. A new church was realised in 1950. Inside the church are beautiful likenesses of Mary, including a Lourdes statue and a white stone likeness of Mary with Child, with a Latin text below it. The words, translated into Dutch, mean: “I had a dream on Pentecost Sunday. Anno 1949”.
Another depiction of Mary with Child shows the Mother of God standing with her Child on her left arm, a sceptre in her right hand, a large rosary around both arms, both crowned and wearing stately clothing with a cloak.
The church building was renovated in 2004.
Address: Sint-Jansstraat 93, 2910 Wildert/Essen.
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