FRESH START AND DEVELOPMENT 1922 Fifth International Congress in Rome: " Preservation and Propagation of Faith "; feminine campaign for morality; traffic of women; preparation of women for civic responsibilities. Madame Steenberghe-Engeringh (Netherlands ) was elected president (nominated by the Pope) and remained so for 30 years. Under her guidance the Union (IUCWL) expanded rapidly and was ready to become WUCWO in 1952. With 19 new organisations the Union numbered 40 leagues in 20 countries. 1925 : The Sixth International Congress in Rome: "Dangers threatening the family and, through it, the whole of society" . Madame Steenberghe-Engeringh was re-elected. 1926 : Meeting in Luxembourg, in May of the "Section of Young Women" in the Union. This was an integral part of the structure of the Union with its secretariat situated in Ghent (Belgium). An advisory chaplain was nominated by the Holy See, as the president, Christine de Hemptine (Belgium) [The Federation of Young CatholicMen dates in fact from 1921]. In the "Cahiers de l'Union" one could read : "One of the biggest and most important tasks with which we have to occupy ourselves now, is the work in the social field. The problem for women is partly due to themselves and partly a social problem, and on the other hand, the social problem is closely linked to the feminine problem because they are completely reciprocal and cannot be treated separately." 1927 : Madame Steenberghe-Engeringh, the President of UILFC took an active part in founding the Conference of International Catholic Organisations (CICO). The first meeting of presidents took place in Fribourg (Switzerland). Their principal aim was to represent Catholics at the Society of Nations whose headquarters were in Geneva. 1928: Seventh International Council and first Study week at La Haye (Netherlands) to prepare the International Council in 1930. In a letter to the President His Holiness Pius XI insisted on the importance of remaining exclusively Catholic leagues and of collaborating with neutral or protestant organisations only in exceptional circumstances. From then on study days alternated with meetings of the International Council. The former were held in different places, whereas the latter were always in Rome until 1967. There was one exception: in 1951 the 12th International Council took place in Fribourg (Switzerland). In contemporary publications, the meetings of the International Council were often called "International Congress". As explained in a document dated "Utrecht; May 1936", " The meeting of the Council is rather more like a kind of congress." These meetings involved a large number of delegates, between 150 and 250, and even over 500 when the " Young Women's Section" joined IUCWL. The League of Nations granted the Union representation on the committees "Traffic of Women" and "Protection of the Child", two representatives were nominated. 1930 : Eighth International Council in Rome: "The recovery of family morality" . The subject of study for the next 4 years was education. First Council of the Young Women's Section. The International Labour Office (ILO) ratified the nomination of a delegate to the Commission studying problems related to women. 1932: Study week in Lucerne to prepare the International Council of 1934; The purpose of these study weeks was to take into account the work done by the Commissions which that year had studied Faith, Family, Education, Women at work, Morality, Hygiene, Women in public life. For the "Youth Section": Sport and Health. The same year Mrs. Steenberghe-Engheringh, President of the Union was the only Catholic delegate to speak at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. 1934 : Ninth International Council in Rome: " That Christian principles of education penetrate the family and society" . The commissions continued with the addition of Formation of Catechists and the Handicapped. There were 512 participants - not all women, for there were numerous priests. These people represented 46 adult organisations and 13 of young girls. There were approximately the same number in each group. 1936 : Council of Young IUCWL in Paris to prepare the International Study Congress in Brussels (Belgium), scheduled for Easter 1937. 1937 : Study week in Brussels: "Catholics in today's world" (principles of Catholic social feminism). The Day of the Young brought together 227 participants to reflect on: "Young Women in Today's World". 1939 : Tenth International Council in Rome: "Catholic women and the restoration of Christianity in society today." Youth Day: "The apostolate of conquest". At the time, the Union comprised 55 affiliated organisations from 32 countries covering some 25 million women. The countries were mainly in Europe, Latin America, North America, with two Asian countries and Australia. THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1940-1945 After the beginning of the war, , the archives in Holland were destroyed on May 14, 1940" so that the invaders could not lay hands on them and use them to find people who had collaborated with us (the Union)." (Notebooks February 1946). In June 1940, the German police searched UILFC offices. Dr. J.H.E.J. Hoogveld, chaplain to IUCWL since 1930 was arrested by the Gestapo and died as a result of the ill-treatment he suffered. During this time work went on locally in some countries according to their circumstances. Contacts were made for the resumption of the international work. |
