HISTORICAL CONTEXT
In the tenth century, controle over the Church of St-Sulpice was taken over by the bishops of Liège. These bishops integrated the church into the diocese of Liège, as the core of the parish Zoutleeuw. The church of Zoutleeuw even became the head of a deanery, consisting of not less than 31 parishes. This way, Zoutleeuw was the main religious centre in the surrounding area.