The jubilee marking the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the diocese of Rotterdam by Pius XII on 2 February 1956 will be solemnly celebrated during the year. Of the many celebrations planned to mark the event the most solemn will be that in the city’s Cathedral of Sts Laurence and Elizabeth on 4 February. It will be attended by the heir to the throne of the Netherlands, Prince Willem Alexander and his wife Maxima (who is Catholic but who pledged at her wedding to bring up her children according to the Protestant faith): as announced by the diocese, the royal couple will be guests of honour at the celebration. The celebrant will be the Bishop of Rotterdam Adrian van Luyn, who is also President of Pax Christi in Holland. After the celebration, a documentary film, “Fifty years in the life of the diocese of Rotterdam 1956-2006”, will be presented. Other jubilee events planned for 4 February are a meeting with youth, a pilgrimage to the Taizé Community, a weekend of the Taizé Community in Rotterdam, during which some of the friars will take part in a musical on Edith Stein and in a meeting on the theme “Church: at the service of the world”, which will provide stimulation for reflection on the three “S’s”: spirituality, solidarity, sobriety. Rotterdam has a population of 3.5 million, of whom roughly 16% are Catholic; it is the most heavily urbanized territory in the country, and comprises not only traditional parishes but also a number of new communities, including many parishes of emigrants. Since 1994 the diocese has been headed by Msgr. Van Luyn, the fourth bishop since its foundation.
