In the heart of Amsterdam’s inner city, tucked away in a centuries-old canal house, there is an entire church in the attic. Hermine Pool, senior curator of religious heritage and head of Collections, Research and Presentation at Our Lord in the Attic Museum, takes us through the stories behind this rare well-preserved building. All this in relation to the church vestments on display at Fashion for God.

The ins and outs of an Amsterdam Catholic secret church

What was it like in a small, hidden Catholic church in the attic of an Amsterdam canal house? Catholic religious life – which had previously taken place in full public view in majestic churches, in monasteries and chapels and on the streets – took on a different complexion in the 17th century. In hideaway church Het Hert, priest Petrus Parmentier was supported by a curate and by twenty spiritual daughters. It was a busy time in the little attic church. Not only did Mass had to be celebrated daily, the sick had to be cared for, the dead had to be buried and the church had to be decorated with liturgical objects and art. Hiding church Het Hert, now Our Lord in the Attic Museum, gives a unique insight into Catholic life in the seventeenth century.