ABSTRACT
Social status and networks formed a firm basis for Catholic survival. Focussing on Catholics with elevated social status and their networks of sociability, this chapter uncovers the infrastructure that was crucial to the survival of Catholics as individuals and as a group in Utrecht. These notable Catholics were composed of the defenders of prosecuted Catholics, nobles as well as canons, lawyers, and those with privileged connections to the Reformed elite. On the basis of their socio-economic capital, citizenship, and patronage, these prominent Catholics were not only guardians of the Catholic community, but also pillars of the wider civic community of Utrecht and beyond. Under their leadership, Catholics found themselves at the focal point of multi-religious Utrecht and its urban public sphere.
