Saint Rosa

In the town of Sittard in the Dutch province of Zuid-Limburg, the tradition of the procession of St Rosa on the last Sunday in August is over 300 years old. St Rosa is the patron saint of the town. When filmmaker Hans Heijen, who was born, baptised and raised in Sittard, was reacquainted with the procession, he was amazed that the spiritual life in Sittard is still so visible in the streets of the town. Nuns, priests, the curate in black dress and white collar, the deacon: the Roman Catholic church seems immutable. At the same time, the majority of the onlookers plainly consider the St Rosa procession as folklore rather than a religious expression.

The older church establishment does what it can and adapts as much as possible to modern ways. The younger generation, however, is still idealistic. A 29-year-old curate and a 38-year-old novice nun, even though they are from a non-religious background, strive for a pure experience of the faith, meaning that they strictly observe the rules of the church. The established spiritual order, in the eyes of the critical youngsters, only indulges in folklore.