Old Roman Catholic Chaplaincy Chamber (ORKA)
Mariahoek 16-17
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This Chaplaincy Chamber was founded in 1674. After the Reformation, much of the Netherlands became Protestant. The Reformed Diaconate in Utrecht did not want to offer charity to Catholics, so the ORKA was founded. A Catholic clergyman who cares for those in need (physically and mentally) was called an almoner. The Chaplaincy was located in one of the claustral houses of St. Mary's Church, along with an orphanage and retirement home. The retirement home closed in 1974, but the ORKA still exists in a modern form. The beautiful Regents' Room in this building is still used monthly. It is where the Board of Regents, consisting of five board members, now meets to discuss applications, policies and practical matters surrounding ORKA in order to govern the fund.
Each regent had a particular district under his care, where he visited families and supervised them, which included providing medical care. ORKA provided daily necessities such as peat (fuel), food, clothing and clogs. They also provided benefits for things such as funerals, following an education or starting a business. Single mothers could also count on support. This did however involve a condescending attitude: those who appealed to the Chaplaincy had to do so very humbly and gratefully.
Besides this chamber of chaplains, Utrecht also had a number of hospices. The guesthouses were founded by wealthy citizens, who wanted to spend part of their money on the poor out of Christian duty and compassion. Two of these guesthouses in Utrecht were intended for the sick: the Catharijneconvent and the Hospice Leeuwenbergh. Other hospices were intended to take in the homeless and the poor from outside the city (exiles, pilgrims, vagrants) at night.
You can find some of these guesthouses on this itinerary, or on the Time Machine map.
