catholic action in holland

Irish Jesuit Province

Catholic Action in HollandAuthor(s): Brian McMahonSource: The Irish Monthly, Vol. 60, No. 713 (Nov., 1932), pp. 659-671Published by: Irish Jesuit ProvinceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20513384 .

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659

CATHOLIC ACTION IN HOLLAND.

By REV. BRIAN MCMAHON, S.J., M.Sc.

H TOLLAND is in area somewhat less than half the size of Ireland, though she supports a popula tion of nearly 8,000,000. Of these the Catholics,

numbering roughly one-third, occupy mainly the Southern provinces of Brabant and Limburg, and in these portions of the country they form the great

majority of the people. As is well known, Catholicism in Holland is in a very vigorous condition, and, despite the minority in point of numbers, plays a large part in national affairs. The Catholics are fortunate in having an excellent Press. Two big dailies circulate through out the entire country-De Maasbode and De I'ijd. The former of these, whose chief-editor is a

priest, has been described as the only Catholic news paper in Europe equal in standard to the best of the non-Catholic press in the same country. These papers are positively and explicitly Catholic organs, conducted by Catholics on Catholic principles in the interests of the Catholic population, and for the support of the

Church. They do not merely publish news of interest to Catholics. There is a workers' daily, De Volkskrant,

while in addition each province has its own Catholic daily, e.g., the Limburger Koerier for Limburg, De Gelderlander for Gelderland. It must be remembered that these dailies cater for a Catholic population scarcely greater in number than that of the Free State. There are further many other papers appearing at greater intervals, the organs of particular bodies, etc. Such, for instance, is De Branding, the organ of "1 The Committee for the Defence of Dutch Catholics," a very recently founded association, so far scarcely spread be yond Southern Limburg. This Committee directs its energies particularly against the spread of Communism and Socialism by organising public meetings, by direct ing agitation in defence of Catholic interests and



660 THE IRISH MONTHLY

against its enemies and by the spread of controversial publications. One of its earliest manifestations took place shortly after the Spanish Cortes passed the decree against the Jesuits. 0n this occasion the following, notice was put up in all the churches of Maastricht and

district: " Demonstration in Maastricht.-The protest against

the Spanish free-thinkers and against the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain will take place on Sunday, Oc tober 25th, at 3 p.m. By 2.30 p.m., at the. latest, motor cars should be lined up on the Meersen road behind the railway station inWMaastricht. Departure for the Jesuit College at 2.40 p.m. sharp. During the halt to be made there all are to get out of their cars. J. Mineur will

speak, and afterwards all will join in the hymn: " To

Thee, 0 Eternal King." All cars should bear a white and yellow pennant over the radiator.

"The demonstration, serving at the same time as a

mobilisation trial, will take place weather permitting or not.

"(Signed) The Committee for the Defence of Dutch

Catholics."? When, some months later, a number of exlled Spanish

Jesuits arrived to take up their residence in Holland, the same Committee organised meetings to receive them, and published a special edition of De Branding offering them a welcome.

In the predominantly Protestant north the Catholic religion is still subject to certain disabilities. One of these gives occasion every year to a unique display of devotion to the Blessed Eucharist. The law against carrying the Blessed Eucharist in public procession makes it impossible to hold such processions in Amster dam. Many years ago, before the Reformation, it was

customary for a miraculous Host to be carried solemnly every year through a certain portion of the city. This

Host had been given to a sick person, who, however, had been unable to swallow it. The Host was thrown into the fie, but rose from the flames and remained suspended in the air. It was put into a box and carried



CATHOLIC ACTION IN HOLLAND 661

to the parish priest, who, however, on opening the box, found no Host inside. It had returned to the house whlere the sick man was lying. This happened again, and yet again; but when eventually carried with great solemnity to the church it remained there. Every year following the Host was escorted in solemn procession over the same route. Such processions ceased with the Reformation, but since that time it has been customary for individual Catholics to walk the route privately, saying the Rosary or other prayers. Some years ago the "' Stille Omgang " was organised. This is limited strictly to men, who, on a given Saturday night, arrive at Amsterdam from all parts of Holland-each town sending its contingent, the members of which silently walk through the streets, following the route of the old procession, each man praying privately. This goes on all through the night as the different contingents arrive -starting about 10 p.m. and continuing until about 2 a.m. There is no united procession-each party goes on its own. After completing the walk the various parties go to one or other of the churches of the city, previously allotted to it, and all hear Mass and receive Holy Communion. The men then depart for home and are back in time to take up their daily work on Monday morning. Last year, two successive Sunday nights were given to this devotion-90,000 men taking part in all, 40,000 the first night and 50,000 the second.

This devotion to the Blessed Eucharist has been shown also in the response given to Pope Pius X's appeal for early Communion and in the great spread of frequent Communion, especially among the young, and this re sponse has been regarded as one of the main factors in the vgorous development of Catholicism in the country siince the beginning of the present century. Another factor of great importance is the development of the

Retreat movement. As a result the various seminaries are in a very flourishing condition and there is no lack of priests. CATHOLIC ORGANISATIONS.

Since about 1903 all classes and grades of workers




in Elolland have been organised into Cathalic Unions. These are very numerous and include not only manual workers-miners, bakers, meal workers, and others-but also teachers, doctors, and members of the other pro fessions. These unions exist side by side with Socialist organisations. A Catholic may not under penalty of being refused the Sacraments be a member of any of the latter. The "J Roomisch Katholicke Werklieden

Verbond," with its headquarters in Utrecht, unites all Catholic Workers' Unions and is to-day in a very strong position, numbering, in January, 1931, 145,800 mem bers. The Socialist central body numbered, on the same date, 271,000 and the Protestant 80,300. The two Chris tian bodies, totalling 226,100, work together and so are able to offer an effective opposition to the Socialists.

Although the Catholic Unions are thoroughly Catho lic, they do not in the exact sense of the term consti tute Catholic Action. Their immediate object is the care of the material interests of their members. The ideal of Catholic Action in the strict sense has been realised in the 'latest organisation, which caters for the young workmen, De Jonge WeVrkman, which is in organisation and method similar to the Belgian J.O.C., fully explained in an article on Catholic Action in the Irish Monthly for August, 1931, by the Rev. J. O'Mieara, S.i.

Catholic Action proper also exists in Holland in the various forms in which it is found in Ireland, Sodalities, St. Vincent de P-aul Societies, works in aid of the Mis

sions, rescue societies, retreat movements -and others which are all numerous and fl ourishing and very thoroughly organised. Though these are not yet linked up under central national organisation such as that which co-ordinates the Workers' Unions-which is the ideal aimed at by t(he Holy Father for Catholic

Action and is rapidly being introduced with splendid results in other countries-yet there is mcich co-opera tion and co-ordination amongst them. Each diocese has its own diocesan group of organisations dependent on the direction of the B3ishop. On September the first,



CA THOLIC ACTION IN HOLLAND 63

1929, simultaneous demonstrations of all the organisa tions of youth throughout the country were held in various centres to ascertain exactly what provision was made for the young of the various classes. In almost every case the results considerably exceeded expecta tions, with the sole exception of young factory workers of both sexes. Since then this want has been remedied by the foundation of the cc De Jonge Werkman and by another work, now to be briefly described.

THE KATHOLIEKE JEUGDVEREENIGING. Among the female factory workers there is a big field

for apostolic work, and very recently this also has shown much development. It is only since the war that the number of girls employed in factories ihas become large. Their attitude towards thelr work is quite different to that of the,4men, most of them regarding it merely as an interlude between school and marriage. The K.J.V. -Katholieke Jeugdvereeniging-recognisinag this, sets before its members the ideals of true Christian mother h9od and its principal aim is tQ form them so as to attain the fulfilment of these ideals. The work, especi ally at the beginning, is very slow, for great difficulties have to be overcome. The girls enter the factory usually at fourteen years of age and are immediately plunged into a life for which they are completely unprepare#5. Previously they have attended Catholic schools and, on the whole, have spent their lives in a Catholic atmo sphere, knowing nothing of the dangers that lie before them. Now they are thrown into the midst of 500 or so companions and spend their days in the midst of the freest and most demoralising conversation-and this despite the fact that the majority of the girls are Catho lics (we are speaking now of the field of action of the

K.J.V.-the diocese of Utrecht's Hertogenbosch, and Breda). At home they have no opportunity of privacy, rarely living with a family that occupies more than two or three rooms, with the result that they must neces sarily seek their recreation in the streets. Father F. Frencken, a secular priest, the founder of the K.J.V.,



(414 THE IRISH MONTHLY

had previously founded a league of Eucharistic Cru saders-the Eucharistische Kruistocht---somewhat simi lar to the C.B.S. Its members seek to put into daily

practice the principles of Pope Pius X's decrees on fre

(Illent Holy Communion, not only in their lives as indi

viduals, but also iin their dealings with family and society. With its roots in the Mass and Holy Com

munion, the E.K. produces its fruit in factory and workshop, in family and school. It aims at producing apostles who will live in this spirit, and this it does by formi:ng nuclei around which other organisations can be built up. Such another organisation is the JKatho lieke Jeugdvereeniging.

In order that thi;s may be founded in a particular factory it is necessary that a nucleus of E.K. members be present. These are under the guidance of a priest as spiritual director. They first seek, by the example of their lives, to draw others to follow them, to give up, for instance, bad conversation, and not be ashamed of their religion. By courtesy and kindness they draw a group of friends around them and eventually form the first K.J.V. club. As the work progresses more clubs are formed. E.K. Hlouses are available, and in these the clubs -meet for recreation, instruction, etc. The chief aim put before the members is to form them selves to become true Christian mothers, and the special virtues they make it their endeavour to practise purity, solid religion, diligence in their work, cheerful ness-have this end in view. Underlying all is the spirit of the Eucharistische Kruistocht. The members of the K.J.V. are furthermore apostles. Not all, not even the majority of their companions will join them, for there are certain positive obligations-not to keep company witth men before arriving at the age of twenty, not to go to the cinema except with members of their own families, not to attend dances (family dances are allowed). Those who are not prepared to carry out all these obligations may become Gilde Meisjes (Guild

Maidens), who promise, at least, the monthly reception of the Sacraments; and it is the aim of the members




of the K.J.V. to increase the numbers of the Gilde. In February the first issue of a special paper, Het Gilde blad, made its appearance. The second number, that of March, had a circulation of 21,900, and this had increased to 23,000 in April. The K.J.V. and E.K. have

also their own papers, and there is an additional one for the club leaders.

Some factories have been entirely reformed through the work of Katholieke Jeugdvereeniging; so much so that in many it will frequently happen that silence will be observed for an hour (in the factories there is no re

striction upon conversation during working hours). This hour-the K.J.V. hour-will be offered up for some special intention-some missionary work, the private intention of one of the members, etc.

On the other hand, what about those factories in which there is no nucleus of members of the E.K. to

start the good work? In such a case volunteers are

sought from some particularly promising branch of the K.J.V. One, or perhaps msore, of these

will enter a factory and work exactly as one of the

ordinary employees, so constituting the nucleus, about which will gradually be' built up the K.J.V. None, save the director of the factory, knows the special position of the volunteers. Often directors themselves make application for them. The work is sometimes extremely slow; in one instance a girl was two years in, a factory before three of her companions had

joined her. Needless to say, tihis work gives to the girls a wonderful opportunity of exercising the lay apostolate.

To each factory is attached an E.K. House, under the charge of an E.K. Catechist. These Catechists form a kind of lay congregation (founded also by Fr. Frencken), the members of which are not strictly re ligious, nor are they merely lay. They are under the urisdiction of the bishop of the diocese, and make a

solemn promise to serve the Church and work for the salvation of souls. A Catechist may, under the advice




of her confessor, take an aninual vow of poverty and

chastity, or one or other of these. It must not be supposed, from what has been said

above, that the members of the K.J.V. are members also of the Eucharistische Kruistocht. This is not so. The members of the latter make a (practice of daily Holy Communion and strive in a very special mannaer to lead a life of union with Christ through the Blessed Euicharist. Their spirit, however, is the spirit of the K.J.Y.., and in order to develop this spirit thle members of the latter are encouraged to becomer members also of the former.

Although the K.J.V. pays such special attention to the factory workers it is not confined to them. It iS a

youth movement, and has branches among girls, of every class. In,the Southern provinCe of Limburg there is an organization-the K.A.M.V.-run ona the same lines as that of the Belgian Jocistes, and, like it, restricted entirely to working girls. But in the Protestant north the place of the Jeugdvereeniging is taken by a similar

organization, open to girls of every class-" (De Graal." This seeks particularly to develop the corporate spirit of its members as members of the Catholic Church, and to impress upon the non-Catholic majority that they constitute anything but an insignificant body. At in tervals the Graaal produces a religious pageant, and last year, in the Stadium in Amsterdam, this was

watched by 10,000 spectators. The " Vrouwen van Nazareth," a congregation similar to that of the E.: Catechists, have charge of the Graal. This congrega tion was founded by Fr. Jac yan Ginneken, S.J.

VROUWEN VAN BETHANIE. It was Pr. van Ginneken who, in 1919, was responsible

for the first formation of the type of lay-apostle repre sented by E.K. Catechists and Vronwen van Nazareth,

which in the future may be called upon to play a very

important part in the life of the Catholic Church. "' Mindful of the work of the Catechumenate in the early

Chuircl, and of St. Reinilda, who, more than a thou




sand years ago, led her sister and her father's knights against paganism in the Low Countries, he resolved to form a new Catechumenate, the aim before it to be the conversion of the pagan children of Holland." With this end in view he collected a number of young women in a house near Haarlem and began the course of in struction and formation which was to fit them for their future work. To the house of training he later gave the name of Bethany. Here the "1 Companions in Arms

of St. Reinilda" ' remain for two years before they are ready for the apostolate. During the novitiate they dress in white and wear a white veil, but during active

work they wear ordinary dresses. Remaining lay women, they take, while remaini:ng within the ranks, an annual vow of Chastity. They make no vow of Poverty and none of Obedience, but solemnly promise obedience to the Superior General.

Their field of action is the dark slums of the cities, where live countless numbers of children who have never even heard the name of God. The first Catechumenate, or Reinilda House, was begun in the Hague late 'in 1920. The problem. of drawing the children was solved by dis tributing circulars in the proper quarters announcing that an entertainment with pictures would be given for young children on a particular afternoon at an en trance fee of I cent. (about a farthing). About 200 arrived on the -first afternoon. Soon they were coming regularly on two afternoons a week. Sometimes they

would be entertained with stories, sometimes with games. Soon there were classes, the girls being taught needlework and the boys various forms of handicraft. Later -on this side of the work developed, a reading room was opened, football and gymnastic clubs formed, the girls taught the various duties of the home, etc. In such a manner, having collected the children, the

Catechists come to know them thoroughly, and gradu ally civilise them a:nd ground them ina good habits.

At the beginning there is no mention of religion, but now God and the Old Testament are brought into their lives, and' the complete pagans amongst them are intro




(Iicecd to the first stage of the Catechumenate proper, that of the "1 Beginners." Each stage has its own sym

b)olic colour, the members wearing an armlet of that colour during class, the class-rooms being decorated in the various colours. After a varying length of time the beginners enter the second stage and are instructed in the New Testament. The third, and final, stage consists in preparation for Baptism, but before this cai be entered upon the consent of the parents must

be obtained. These are usually quite willing or merely indifferent. The Catechists keep in touch with the

parents and have special " parents' evenings "J for

them, when they are entertained at the St. Reinilda House, and it is rarely that the baptism of a child is prevented owing to the refusal of permission by the parent. The newly-baptised spend, the week following the ceremony living in a convent or some similar place,

during which period they are dressed entirely in white. It is the aim of the Catechists, while they are there, to

bring home to them the fact that they are now one with

countless others, sharing in their life and partaking of their spirit and privileges.

There is no fixed time during which the children re ceive the training of the Catechumenate; some may be ready in a year, some in two, or even three years. When the children are finished with the Catechumen

ate there remains the problem of saving them from the evils of the environment to which they must return. This is the object of another Institute, annexed to that of St. Reinilda, whose aim is to keep them together and to instruct them in the professions for which they are best fitted, and finally to place them in positions

where they will not be in danger of losing their faith. Every year the Catechists spend a full month at the

training house, and every sixth year they retire into it for a year to renew and strengthen their ideals. When St. Reinilda had completed her work of pre

paration she built a, monastery -on the banks of the

Meuse, retiring into it with her holy companions, and there, dedicating themselves entirely to prayar and




mortification, they made the active work of conversion carried on by others bear rich fruit. Fr. van Ginne ken's "c Companions of St. Lidwina " play this part in the work of the modern Catechumenate. They are the contemplative members of the Institute, offering their whole life of prayer and sacrifice for the conversion of the pagan children. After their novitiate they take the three vows of religion, together with a fourth vow that they wish to sacrifice their lives in praying, suffering and working for the conversion of Holland. It is they who educate the Companions in Arms of St. Reinilda and prepare them for their future work. Except for a violet veil, their dress does not differ from that of the Catechists. It was Fr. Willenborg, Parish Priest of B3loemenudal, who, about a year after the first Catechists had been collected, suggested to Fr. van Ginneken the formation of this contemplative branch of his Institute.

The " Companions in Arms of St. Reinilda, the

Marthas "1 and the " Companions of St. Lidwina, the Marys " together form the " Vrouwen van Bethanie."*

THE RETREAT MOVEMENT. The diocesan retreat organizations of Holland repre

sent probably the highest perfection to which the move ment for retreats for the laity has been brought in any country. Just over 25 years ago, in 1906, the first com pletely Dutch Retreat House was opened by the l)augh ters of the All-Holy Virgin at Eijsdem, near Maastricht, anad in that year the exercitants numbered 231 in eight retreats. During the 22 previous years the German

House of Missions of St. Michael, conducted by the Fathers of the Divine Word at Steyl, had given retreats to a total of 1227 exercitants. To-day there are 13 Re treat houses in the country, the number of retrea-tants averaging mor0e than 30,000 yearly. Last year, for in stance, in the three Jesuit Retreat houses more than 10,000 men took part in about 160 retreats. All retreats

*For more detailed information on the "

Vrouwen van Bethanie "

see the account by Fr. P. van Gestel, S.J., in "

Studies/' March, 1924, p.130.



(670 THE IRISH MONTTHLY

last for three days, save a small number which last for eight.

The complete organization embraces, first, the Parish, secondly the Retreat house itself, and finally the Dio cese.

In each Parish the head of the Retreat federation is

the Parish Priest or a curate as his representative. The necessary financial foundation is secured by means of Retreat Savings Clubs, the promoters of which collect their subscriptions from the members by small instal

ments. This money goes to pay the fares of the exerci tants to the Retreat house, their board during their stay there, and, to those who must sacrifice some of their

wages by attending, a sum equal to the wages lost.

These savings clubs are run independently of the main Parish retreat organization, though under its general guidance. There is, in addition, a fu:nd for aiding the very poor to make retreats.

More difficult than the money question is the work of enlisting participants in the retreats, requiring as it does a great deal of personal sacrifice of time and lei

sure on the part of zealous laymen, who, assisted also by the spiritual director of the federation, carry out a regular house to house visitation of the parish. One, two, three, four, or perhaps five parishes co-operate in forming a group of exercitants, 60-70 in number.

Especial efforts are made to draw the young into the ranks of the retreat federation and to interest them in the work of the movement even before they themselves are invited to take part in a retreat.

After the close of the retreat the parish organization, or a special branch of it, makes it its aim to foster in

the retreatants the spirit of perseverance and faithful ness to the ideals which have been put before them. This is done by the organization of monathly days of recollection, or at least by monthly, general Com

munion. A great deal of importance is attached to this aspect of the work.

The second pillar, and in fact the main support of the movement, is the Retreat house itself. Owing to the



CATHOLIC ACTION IN OLLAND 671

plentiful supply of priests in the country there are usually several attached to each house, and these are engaged not only ina giving the retreats, but keep in constant touch with the various parishes in their re spective districts. They urge upon the participants of the retreats the great desirability of becoming members of the parish retreat federation, and aid the work of the

miionthly recollection by supplying booklets to the exerci tants, in which they may write the resolutions they may have been moved to make, and any points that have come before them with special force during the retreat. These booklets may be used by each individual as the basis of his monthly recollection. Two publications,

Manresabode, produced by the Jesuits, and 7Thabor, by the Redemptorists, are specially devoted to fostering these monthly recollections.

The Retreat house pays particular attention to the lay promoters by giving them special courses, with the aim of imbuing them very particularly with the true spirit of their apostleship. Finally, solemn assemblies of retreatants are held, if possible, every year, by a

Father from the Retreat house, in a centrally situated

church. These assemblies connect the people more to

gether and serve to consolidate the whole retreat move

ment. Frequently the next retreats in which the men of the particular district will take part are arranged on these occasions.

Thus Retreat lhouse and Parish work hand in hand, and the whole is crowned by the efficacious suipport of the Episcopate and under its blessing. So the Catholics of Holland are formed to real sanctification and holi ness, and strengthened to become zealouis workers in the field of Catholic Action. Our Holy Father recog nized this when, in congratulating the " Manresa " Retreat house on the occasion of its 1,000th retreat, he expressed the hope that "1 the blessed work would de velop more and more, to God's honour and the benefit of human society."7



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