Configuration of the I.C. official opening at Saint Peter's Square in Rome

After the outbreak of the pandemic in 2019, the IYCW has postponed the celebration of the XVth International Council. However unusual the current situation is, the postponing of an important event is no first in the history of the IYCW. This article takes a look at the preparations for the World Assembly and International Council in Rome 64 years ago, events that could have taken place earlier if it wasn’t for a global crisis: the Second World War.

1957 is a year engraved in IYCW (International Young Christian Workers) memory, and for good reason. The official recognition of the statutes by Pope Pius XII in Rome marked the beginning of an independent and autonomous IYCW. At the same time, the Italian capital was buzzing with life as some 30 000 young workers from across the globe gathered for the World Assembly. Many eyes were fixed on Rome; the IYCW was about to show itself to the world.

The International Council has always been the most important governing body of the IYCW. As the democratic and representative representation of all national YCW’s, it has a rich history. Although the first official meeting was in Rome in 1957, the first initiatives towards an international, democratic and representative body were taken more than a decade earlier during the International Study Days in Brussels (1945). The IYCW-archives shed an invaluable light on the humble beginnings of the International Council.

The archive file contains a note made in preparation of the International Days with annotations from Jozef Cardijn (p.1-2). It concerned essential questions like ‘what should we discuss and who will attend?’. Among the topics to be discussed were mainly the establishment of an International Secretariat in Brussels and the basic principles of international collaboration. The second question was harder to answer than it seems nowadays; Canada and Luxemburg had already confirmed by telegram, the US will soon send one, the Netherlands, England, Scotland and Ireland will probably attend, shouldn’t Switzerland and Portugal also be alerted? Communication was quite the adventure…

On February 23th, 2021, the archives of the International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) were moved from the International Secretariat in Brussels to KADOC Documentation and Research Centre on Religion, Culture and Society connected to the Catholic University of Leuven.

The IYCW has a rich history and pre-history. From its origins in the Young Christian Workers (YCW) (1925) movement, to its official recognition as an international movement in 1957 and beyond, it envisaged the emancipation and education of young workers all over the world. Through the years, the IYCW has produced vast archives containing written correspondence with the national branches and local (Church) authorities, documents on daily governance and activities, information on personnel and finances,… It really reflects the history of more than seventy years of IYCW.