The doors of this narrow church building on the busy Kalverstraat are usually open during the day. It invites you to step inside. But first, let’s take a look at the façade. It is the Neo-Gothic entrance to a church that has stood here since the seventeenth century. At that time, there was a hidden church in the garden of a house called De Papegaai (“The Parrot”). That explains the curious name of the church. The façade was not recognizable as a church then, because Catholic churches were not allowed to be visible from the public street in Protestant Amsterdam.

We see the parrot depicted on the façade. It sits on a perch beneath its own canopy to the left of the entrance. On the right side, also beneath a canopy, stands Saint Joseph, the true namesake, to whom the church is dedicated. He can be recognized by his carpenter’s tools.

The bronze parrot was once stolen and replaced by a plastic version. A few years ago, the real parrot was returned. The circumstances of the theft have never been clarified.

Let us now enter the porch, decorated with colorful mosaics. The largest one, on the right, depicts the penitent Mary Magdalene at the feet of Christ. In the Catholic tradition, she symbolizes the sinful person who repents, but the artist Antoon Molkenboer also meant her to represent the worldly woman shopping in the Kalverstraat.

With this message still in mind, we step into the church: through a revolving door and a vestibule we enter the interior. Many visitors are surprised by the vast space. You would never expect it behind that narrow façade! The use of oak for the furnishings and the deep red of the upholstery give the church a warm atmosphere. Open to everyone during the day, the church seems to call you to step away for a moment from the bustle of the busy shopping street.