Mission in Norway in 1924

The mission in Norway was started on the initiative of Mgr. Jan Olav Smit, the Apostolic Vicar of Norway and Spitsbergen. On October 23^rd, 1923 Mgr. Smit requested the superior general, Mother Alphonse Wester Woudt, to send some sisters for a mission in Norway. The same request was also submitted to the Bishop of Utrecht, Mgr. H. v.d. Wetering.

The sisters began the mission in Trondheim, a city of European culture. They had a house in the parish church of St. Olav.

The main goals of this mission were: to teach French and English, to play the organ in the church and to sing songs that would give new life and atmosphere in the parish. The majority of the population in Norway was Lutheran, with only a small number of Catholics. In St. Olav’s parish, there were only 40 people.

On October 30^th 1923, the congregation announced this first mission and gave an opportunity to the sisters who were interested in dedicating themselves to this mission in the field of education.  After some conversations, the general superior and her assistants finally chose four pioneer sisters for this first mission in Norway.

They were:

Sr. Gonzaga Berendsen,               as community leader

Sr. Aufride ten Brink,                      in charge of education

Sr. Alida Fokken                             in charge of education

Sr. Marcella Roelofs                       care of kitchen.

Standing from left to right, Sr. Madeleine, Sr. Macella
Sitting from left to right: Sr. Alida, Sr. Agnetina and Sr. Aufrida

These four sisters took ten days for a retreat in preparation for their mission and in May 1924 they left the Netherlands on the ship "Iris" to Norway.

They were welcomed by Mgr. Smit and another priest. After having Mass and singing a Norwegian song, Mgr. Smit prayed in Dutch:

"Our Lord Jesus, the sisters came here from far away, because they were stirred by the love in realizing Your work, bless them and the work that will be done that it may bear fruit".

On May 24^th, 1924 the first sisters arrived in Trondheim. There they took over the school that was ran by Sr. Wanda, a Sister of St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Trondheim.

Sr. Alida soon began by opening a kindergarten.

All the materials brought from the Netherlands for the school were ready to use. One room in the parish house was used as a classroom, the Mary Hall as a bedroom for the sisters and a very small room for recreation and a dining room.

In 1928 Sr. Alida began to give private lessons and to teach painting. At school they worked together with a Norwegian language teacher, Mrs. Skarland. The kindergarten that was started was very small and did not grow, because in Norway public schools were financed by the government. This included school materials and food. The children did not need to pay anything. They were also afraid to enter the catholic school because most of the Norwegian population was Lutheran. The parents did not dare to entrust their children to the sisters.

In this early mission the more successful work was done by the sister who cared for the kitchen. Besides working the whole day in the kitchen, in the afternoon or evening she gave cooking lessons. The sisters also gave private lessons in foreign languages, especially French, to the Lutheran bishop and his wife and one vicar. This work did not bring any financial support. After several years, finally the sisters and the parish priest decided to close the school.

 

Covent of Sisters of Our Lady Amersfoort in Norway



In the opinion of a missionary who had longer stayed there, the quality of educational methods of the sisters was not sufficiently developed.

Eventually the sisters had their own printing press “Onze Lieve Vrouw” that was managed by Sr. Aufride with the help of Sr. Alida. They had to master this skill. According to the story, on Sundays they opened the bookstore. In that way the sisters could earn money for their daily needs.

In the year 1927, the leaders in Amersfoort reconsidered the mission work in Norway. The initial expectation of the mission was that the sisters were able to use their teaching skills and respond to the needs that were previously proposed. But there were many difficulties in managing the school. There were very few students and the schools in Norway were all free of charge. This was the reason that the sisters had no source of income. Finally in 1934, it was decided that the mission in Norway was not to be continued. Sr. Philomena clearly stated that "the end of the mission in Norway is not meant to discourage the missionary spirit. This is not the end of everything"

From the year 1924 to 1934 there were eleven sisters from Amersfoort for the mission in Norway. There was one candidate, Sr. Sunniva from Norway, who went through a period of formation in Norway and the novitiate in the Netherlands until she pronounced her final vows. Later she left the congregation and returned to Norway. (Quoted from a document, congregation archives, Amersfoort)