Sanctus Virgilius
Encyclopedia
KSV Sanctus Virgilius (also known as Virgiel) is the largest student fraternity
/sorority in Delft
. There are about 1600 student members (mostly students at TU Delft) who gather together on a daily or weekly basis at an old monastery
named Alcuin
, after the Irish
builder and monk
.
A wide variety of sports and cultural events are organized by members of Virgiel, including soccer, field hockey
, and climbing.
Virgiel was created in 1898 as the result of emancipation of the Catholic youth in the Netherlands
. Catholicism had long been repressed by government policy, and Delft
Catholic students wanted to unite to discuss their faith and position in society. At the time, most members also belonged to the Delftsch Studenten Corps, the oldest student fraternity/sorority in town.
After the Second World War, Virgiel quickly grew. In the 1960s it quickly lost much of its religious objective. Virgiel is now a non-faith-based fraternity/sorority, which is primarily aimed at having a very good time.
Fraternity
A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
/sorority in Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
. There are about 1600 student members (mostly students at TU Delft) who gather together on a daily or weekly basis at an old monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
named Alcuin
Alcuin
Alcuin of York or Ealhwine, nicknamed Albinus or Flaccus was an English scholar, ecclesiastic, poet and teacher from York, Northumbria. He was born around 735 and became the student of Archbishop Ecgbert at York...
, after the Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
builder and monk
Monasticism
Monasticism is a religious way of life characterized by the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote one's self to spiritual work...
.
A wide variety of sports and cultural events are organized by members of Virgiel, including soccer, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, and climbing.
Virgiel was created in 1898 as the result of emancipation of the Catholic youth in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Catholicism had long been repressed by government policy, and Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
Catholic students wanted to unite to discuss their faith and position in society. At the time, most members also belonged to the Delftsch Studenten Corps, the oldest student fraternity/sorority in town.
After the Second World War, Virgiel quickly grew. In the 1960s it quickly lost much of its religious objective. Virgiel is now a non-faith-based fraternity/sorority, which is primarily aimed at having a very good time.