Reopening of Eendrachtskapel on September 13-14

On the weekend of September 13-14, the Eendrachtskapel in Rotterdam will reopen for Eucharistic celebrations on Saturdays and Sundays. The chapel was closed for two years after several small loose pieces of the vaulted ceiling were found on the floor in October 2023. Scaffolding has now been erected in part of the chapel, and this section has been separated from the rest of the chapel by a wall. This will allow the Eendrachtskapel to be used properly again while awaiting further repairs. There are 150 seats.

From September 13-14, the Eucharist will be celebrated in Dutch on Saturdays (Eucharistic adoration from 12:00 p.m., Eucharistic celebration at 12:45 p.m.). On Sundays, the Eucharist will be celebrated in English (6:00 p.m.) for the international faith community of the Roman Catholic student parish of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Rotterdam. Until its closure, around 150 believers participated in these Eucharistic celebrations in the Eendrachtskapel. Previously, there was also a Dutch-language Eucharistic celebration on Fridays in the Eendrachtskapel. Whether these celebrations will be resumed will be decided at a later date.

For the past two years, English-language services for the international student community have been held in St. Lambert’s Church. Dutch-language services have been held in St. Lawrence and St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral. The board of the Eendrachtskapel expresses its gratitude to the board and volunteers of the St. Mary’s Parish and to the board and volunteers of the cathedral parish for their hospitality during the past period, when the doors of the Eendrachtskapel had to remain closed.

The Eendrachtskapel at Eendrachtsstraat 95 in Rotterdam was built in the 19th century as the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. It is the oldest Roman Catholic church in Rotterdam that is still used for Roman Catholic worship. Because it was built as a chapel, it is a relatively small church with a short distance between the priest and the congregation. The Eendrachtskapel is centrally located, near Witte de Withstraat.

Why was the Eendrachtskapel closed?

The Eendrachtskapel was closed for liturgical celebrations and gatherings in October 2023. The board of the Eendrachtskapel made this decision after an inspection by Constructiebureau De Prouw BV. The inspection was carried out at the request of the Eendrachtskapel board after several small loose pieces of the vaults were found on the chapel floor (pieces of plaster and small parts of the arch of a vault).

In the city of Rotterdam, it is common for buildings to subside. At the Eendrachtskapel, the part near the entrance, on which the towers stand, is heavier than the other part of the church. This means that it subsides more quickly, creating a fracture in the church and causing small or larger pieces of plasterwork to fall down. A vault is only held in place if the pressure around it is equal. This may no longer be the case in the now closed section of the Eendrachtskapel. Because the pressure is not the same on all sides, a vault can collapse. The structural safety of columns or parts on which they rest is not compromised.

What is the current situation in the chapel?

Since October 2023, a lot of work has been done with a view to reopening the Eendrachtskapel for liturgical celebrations and gatherings. A large scaffold has been erected at the entrance to the church to catch any falling debris. A dust barrier has also been installed to separate that part from the church interior. The dust barrier extends from the floor to the roof of the chapel. In the inaccessible section, a short passageway has been created under the scaffolding to allow access to the church. This concerns the section of the chapel up to and including the two rear pillars (bays).

Many parties are involved in making and keeping the church building safe. A construction team was formed at the end of 2023, and there was constant consultation between different disciplines. The construction team consists of a structural engineer to calculate the load-bearing capacity of materials, an architect, a building contractor, a foundation specialist, a scaffolding engineer, and a specialist scaffolder, the episcopal advisory office for construction matters, and a representative of the municipality.

Mutual consultation ensures that all aspects are taken into account. For example, when building the scaffolding, consideration had to be given to possible foundation repairs that would have to be carried out later. This would require materials and equipment to be brought into the church building.

Consultations were held every month. First of all, to ensure that the building was safe for use again. And then to look at foundation repairs and what would need to be done to repair the church and what structural adjustments would be necessary if the church building was to be used for many years to come.

In April, the municipality carried out a safety inspection for users of the building. The structural engineer from the construction team approved the structure and the municipality approved the emergency escape routes. This means that the building is once again fit for use. Following these approvals, the building was refurbished.

(Translated from Dutch with Deepl)

(Photo’s: Ramon Mangold)