Theme International Diversity | Radboud University

Catholic migrant communities

There are many Catholic communities and organisations in the Netherlands with roots abroad. They have been formed by migrants, refugees, expats, international students and Eastern Catholics. The KDC is committed to raising awareness of the primary sources and heritage of this part of the Dutch Catholic community. We call this theme ‘International Diversity’.

When the Catholic Documentation Centre (KDC) was founded in 1969, its aim was to safeguard the Catholic heritage of Dutch organisations. As a result of secularisation and the breakdown of Dutch pillarisation, more and more Catholic organisations closed their doors or continued their work on a less explicitly Catholic basis. By safeguarding their archives and materials, the KDC ensured that their work would not be forgotten.

However, the Catholic community in the Netherlands has always been more diverse than what was considered part of the so-called ‘Catholic pillar’. For example, particularly after the Second World War, faith-based communities emerged amongst migrants, refugees, expats and international students. Catholics from all corners of the globe have found a home in our country, whether for a shorter or longer period. Organisations and networks have emerged to support them. They organise pilgrimages or activities for young people, offer social support and training courses, raise funds, and provide support to priests.

All these faith-based communities and their organisations by definition belong to the KDC’s work field: Catholic life in the Netherlands since 1800. Yet they have long remained out of the spotlight. With the KDC’s revised mission in 2017 to establish stronger links with current social issues, there was opportunity to focus explicitly on these communities. We are doing this with our policy priority on International Diversity.

What is International Diversity?

By using the term ‘International Diversity’, we wish to emphasise that this theme encompasses more than the commonly used term ‘migrant communities’. First and foremost, we are not only concerned with church communities, but also with the civil society organisations associated with them.

‘Migrant communities’ is a well-known and convenient term, but it usually refers to communities of people of non-Western origin with a specific educational background and reason for migrating. The term excludes groups that we would also like to involve in our work, such as Catholics from Germany or Canada, international students and expats.

Moreover, the immigrants who once founded these communities and organisations have in some cases been living in the Netherlands for several decades. Many members of these communities have acquired Dutch nationality or were born here. We cannot continue to refer to them as ‘migrants’.

The term ‘migrant communities’ also suggests a high degree of similarity. However, the differences between them are very significant. In fact, the only thing they have in common is that, despite their Roman Catholic roots, they are not usually regarded as part of the traditional Dutch social pillar due to their international background.

So, what does the theme of ‘International Diversity’ cover?

Catholic faith-based communities and related organisations
… with clearly recognisable and still relevant links
… to languages, ethnic groups and/or liturgies
… originating from outside the European part of the Netherlands.

It also includes, for example, the Eastern Roman Catholic Churches, the Old Catholic Church and the charismatic prayer groups and their organisations; and communities from the Caribbean Netherlands.

Social issues require primary sources

There is plenty of reason to make international diversity a key policy priority. Outside their own circles, very little is still known about the communities from the international spectrum. Even less is known about the civil society organisations associated with them. Researchers soon come up against a lack of basic data and primary sources. Where sound research is lacking, social developments cannot be properly identified and interpreted. Policy may then have undesirable consequences for groups in society that are overlooked.

The ‘migrant communities’ that have existed in the Netherlands for some time are finding that the younger generations know very little about the early days. However, the knowledge and experience of the founders is often not recorded. Traditions that are not understood cannot be properly passed down to future generations.

Research and heritage institutions, as well as communities and organisations, are therefore increasingly recognising the need to raise the awareness about the knowledge, experiences and primary sources from this part of Dutch society. After all, it touches on many current issues, such as church development and secularisation, cultural diversity and inclusivity, immigration and integration, and theological renewal.

A broader perspective on heritage

At the same time, through the theme of International Diversity, we are helping to foster a broader perspective on the complex concept of ‘heritage’. In short, heritage refers to that part of a population group’s culture that is important to preserve and pass down to future generations. But who decides what is important and why? Is its value fixed forever, or does it change over time? And what happens when different population groups share the same heritage?

Anyone who delves into the heritage of the wider Catholic community in the Netherlands will see how heritage travels – through time and across national borders. It passes from hand to hand, from one context to another, and thus points to a multitude of stories – stories in which interests sometimes converge and sometimes clash.

Sustainable embedding

For the KDC itself, this policy priority fuels ongoing internal change processes that have been underway since 2017. If we are to contribute more effectively to current social issues, we need a better understanding of the issues that are currently at stake, as well as those that are not receiving sufficient attention in the public debate. Which social groups are affected by these issues, and what interests are at play? How can the KDC make a meaningful contribution to this?

With the emphasis on current affairs, the focus is also shifting from predominantly historical research to research across various disciplines, and to research that focuses on the present and the future. This also casts the acquisition of sources in a different light. It is not enough for the KDC to come into the picture only once an organisation has disbanded; it must also be involved whilst that organisation is still playing a full and active role in society.

Another aspect concerns internal operating systems. The KDC collects primary sources that reflect the organisation’s activities. For traditional Dutch foundations and associations, these are usually documents such as minutes, annual reports and anniversary publications. Communities and organisations from the international spectrum have different traditions and, consequently, different relevant heritage carriers. Are our systems for acquiring, registering and documenting sufficiently equipped to accommodate these? Are they user-friendly enough to make them accessible to a wide range of interested parties? Do organisations from the international spectrum know how to find their way to the KDC? How can we best support them with archiving, and can we also help with the creation of primary sources?

What do we do?

We are putting this policy priority into practice through the following activities:

Database International Diversity: a database of Catholic faith-based communities and organisations with an international character, for the purposes of research and policy
Collection Building: we help communities and organisations to safeguard their heritage and primary sources and make them more accessible
Knowledge Sharing: through meetings, workshops and publications, we aim to contribute to the sharing of knowledge and experiences relating to this theme
Oral history project: documenting the settlement history of several Catholic migrant communities

Would you like to get involved?

Is this topic of interest to you too? If so, we’d love to hear from you! If you have any questions or suggestions, please get in touch with the theme coordinator, Anneloes van Kuijk.

Downloads

Note: Unfortunately these documents are only available in Dutch.