‘“The Chapel Truck is coming to your Village!” The Eastern Priests Relief Organization and the Refugee Problem in Germany after World War II’

In the aftermath of World War II, between twelve and fourteen million Germans residing in Central Europe were expelled from their homes. This involuntary exodus changed not only the demographic composition of post-war Germany but also significantly altered its religious landscape for several millions of Catholics established themselves in areas that had been Protestant since the Reformation in the 16th century. The miserable sort of these expellees attracted the attention of a wide range of Catholic charities. One such organization was Oostpriesterhulp (Eastern Priests Relief Organization). Founded in Belgium by the charismatic Premonstratensian Werenfried Van Straaten, it initially assisted the Catholic priests in the German Diaspora but gradually broadened its scope to assisting all Catholics worldwide suffering from repression, discrimination, or in pastoral need. Today, Aid to the Church in Need (as the organization is called since 1969) is one of the largest Catholic charities worldwide. This article sheds light on the phenomenon of international Catholic charity after the war and Oostpriesterhulp in particular. To this effect, if focuses on perhaps its most emblematic initiative, namely the Chapel Truck Action. From 1950 onwards, each year during the summer season, a convoy of trailer coaches converted into mobile chapels and loaded with gifts and food, would travel into Germany and visit the isolated pockets of Catholics in the Diaspora. Boosting their pride and self-consciousness for at least a couple of days, such visits confirmed these minorities in their hopes that the Church had not given up on them. This article discusses how Oostpriesterhulp managed to transform this major pastoral and logistical problem into a captivating project that left no one untouched. To this effect we look at the Chapel Truck Action from three angles: as a prime example of the mobilizing force of Catholic charity in the aftermath of World War II; as a particular form of Christian mission in the context of the Cold War; and as an example of itinerant worshipping infrastructure suited for an increasingly mobile society. Thus, the Chapel Truck Action becomes a prism through which the goals and strategies of Oostpriesterhulp can be assessed.