Cor Strik on the Church of Saint Lucia
How the residents of Ravenstein saved their church
Six years ago, Cor Strik and his partner Frans van Haeren acquired the Sint-Lucia Church in Ravenstein for a symbolic sum. The purchase wasn’t for personal gain, but stemmed instead out of a deep sense of conviction to preserve the monument. Following the acquisition, they promptly transferred ownership to a trust committed to this cause. It is a unique building of great significance to the local community. ‘In a sense, the church bought us.’
There is no doubt that former hospitality entrepreneur Strik has the occasional sleepless night over it. The project is a huge undertaking. He has given it his heart and soul. Including some 3,600 volunteer hours over the past six years. He feels a huge sense of responsibility, as it takes a lot to save a church. You need to understand construction procedures, navigate the political landscape skilfully and adapt constantly. And, crucially, just accept that you can’t see what’s around every corner. Strik: ‘Everything in my life turned out to be a training ground for this project. This is where it all comes together. including the courage and determination to never give up, which are deeply ingrained in my being.’
When Strik embarked on this venture there was a lot of uncertainty. The future of the church had been a subject of considerable debate. He thought: I’ll just draft a proposal outlining my vision of what could
potentially be done with such a church. The proposal gained the attention of the diocese, parish council, local council, provincial government and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. At the heart of the idea? The preservation of its heritage, alongside a future-proofed repurposing of the church, for the benefit of the community. Strik also identified the potential for commercial ventures that would allow the church to fund its continued existence and maintenance.
Enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit
Everyone embraced Strik’s idea. They all understood the significance of it. There’s only one German Baroque Catholic parish church like this in the Netherlands. There are unique features to this building, like the mansard roof with a vaulted dome. It was built in 1735 with money raised by the community through the Ravenstein Lottery. Strik: ‘The church forms part of our old fortified town.’ Turns out his idea was viable. ‘We worked out the details thoroughly together with a group of advisors, including people from the heritage sector. And that really set our plan in motion. On top of that, we put together a solid team of board members. People who are way more knowledgeable than I am. I’m all about passion and entrepreneurship. These folks are pros at managing complex projects, heritage, and funding.’
Avoid stripping it bare
Back in 2016 during choir practice, debris started falling from the cracks in the ceiling. As a result, the church was declared unsafe and was closed immediately by the parish council. Strik: ‘The structural survey, which took the first four years, posed the biggest challenge. What would we discover? So, we brought in all sorts of heritage specialists. At this point, I think we know each and every beam.’ There was a long period of inactivity in the church while the multi-year conservation plan for its repurposing took shape.
Plans are now fleshed in stages. As a listed building, both the interior and exterior of the building are protected. Any existing features within the church, such as the altar, any statues, the pulpit and confessionals, must be preserved wherever possible. In order to create space for a more open floor plan, a few pews were allowed to be removed. ‘We cannot and do not want the building to be stripped bare; we consider these heritage features to be our gold.’ Meticulous care and attention are paramount. To this end, there is a construction team comprising of representatives from the local council, the Heritage Advisory Panel and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. ‘They are, in effect, our “supervisors”. They assess our every step. We do this to ensure that everything we do complies with conservation standards.’
Community project
The newly established foundation frequently expressed its concerns: how are we ever going to manage this? Nevertheless, there is widespread support for the initiative from the community. ‘Take the “Lucianen” group, for instance – made up of individuals and businesses – who provide financial support and help collect donations. With Dioraphte’s contribution towards the architectural restoration acting as a catalyst. In the end, the project will need around 2.5 million euros. It goes without saying that any extra help is welcome.’ In the meantime, Strik has seen his initiative develop into a community project. ‘For example, our team includes many professionally skilled volunteers, who contribute to the conversion. They have, for instance, built the toilet facilities as well as undertaken other minor tasks. This has resulted in savings of over 50,000 euros.’
Wedding and funeral ceremonies
Since then, the church has had its safety status reinstated. In order to increase public support, the building was opened at the earliest opportunity to demonstrate what all the hard work had achieved. Operations have also commenced. Consequently, it is now possible to hire the church for wedding and funeral ceremonies, symposiums and performances. Oss’s theatre has committed to staging around twenty performances a year in there. In addition, there is of course also space for the community. This enhances the quality of life in the town. Strik: ‘I once dreamt of creating a place where people could come together. Well That has succeeded.’
‘I knew that the repurposing was going to be a massive challenge. However, I prefer thinking about possibilities and solutions.’
Mirjam Giesbers
Chair of the Foundation Board
Advisor Jaap Jan Steensma
‘Everything made sense; this was a perfect fit for our fund’
‘Heritage policy is about preservation; about conserving what is of value, lest it be lost. Yet circumstances are subject to change. When a heritage site no longer fulfils its intended purpose, its very survival is at risk. Such was the case with the St Lucia’s Church in Ravenstein, which experienced a decline in attendance as a result of secularisation. In the end, the church was closed for worship. What is the next step, in that case?
The thing that makes the Lucia church extra special to us is that a group of locals has been super committed to preserving this heritage site. Not only do they care deeply about the fate of this unique building, but they also want it to stay open to visitors. It’s a massive undertaking, but we were totally confident in their ability to make it work. Everything we read about the project reflected its exceptional value. Every detail had been carefully considered, experts had been consulted, and everything was perfectly in order. Moreover, it aligned with our fund’s ethos. We are committed to supporting projects whose completion would be difficult without our contribution. This is what makes the difference.’