AFFLIGEM, ABBEY OF

Benedictine abbey in Hekelgem, Brabant, Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, Belgium; dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul. It owes its origin to the conversion (c. 1083) of six thieving knights who were moved by the preaching of Wéry, a monk of Saint-Pierre (Ghent). They were soon joined by two monks from Saint-Airly (Verdun), one of whom, Fulgentius, became the first abbot (1088). In 1519 monks from egmond introduced at Affligem the reform of bursfeld. Affligem was incorporated into the episcopal mensa (mensal income) of Mechelen (1560) and governed thereafter by provosts, among whom was Benedict of Haeften. In 1628 Affligem adopted the reform of Lorraine and affiliated with the Congregation of the Presentation of Notre Dame, which was dissolved in 1654. The abbey was suppressed by French revolutionaries (1796), but the community regrouped at Termonde (1838) and affiliated with the Congregation of Subiaco (1857). A colony from Termonde regained possession of the ruins of Affligem (1870). Many priories depended on this abbey; three of them became abbeys—Vlierbeek (near Louvain), maria laach, and saint-andrÉ-lez-bruges. Currently the monks of Affligem participate actively in the liturgical movement in the Dutch-speaking provinces of Belgium. Affligem missionaries have gone to South Africa.

Bibliography: u. berliÈre, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart et al. (Paris 1912–) 1:672–674. a. m. zimmermann, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 1:168–169. l. h. cottineau, Répertoire topobibliographique des abbayes et prieurés, 2 v. (Mâcon 1935–39) 1:23–24.

[n. n. huyghebaert]