Magazine Brothers CMM 2019/3

BROTHERS CMM 3/19

| SHELTERING THE HOMELESS | THE FOURTH VOW | THE JUBILEE YEAR IN RETROSPECT | FUTURE DREAMS FOR KENYA | 20 YEARS CARE OF REFUGEES IN DE VUURHAARD

CONTENTS Mission statement Mercy belongs to all times and places.

Mercy is at the centre of all world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The movement of mercy has left traces throughout history.

The various forms in which mercy appears, are expressions of the society in which it arose, and of the spirituality that carries it.

The Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, is rooted in Christian mercy.

CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPERIOR GENERAL

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IMAGES OF APOSTOLATE

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COLOPHON Brothers CMM appears three times a year and is a publication of the Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy. A subscription is free of charge.

A voluntary contribution is appreciated: ING Bank Account for Fraters CMM Tilburg.

IBAN: NL30INGB0001068517 (BIC: INGBNL2A).

ISSN 1877-6256.

Editorial Board: Nathalie Bastiaansen (executive editor and editor-in-chief), Brother Edward Gresnigt, Brother Ad de Kok, Brother Benyamin Tunggu.

Contributors: Brother Athanasius Onyoni, Benedict Ashipala (WWB), Charles van Leeuwen, Brother Augustine Monari, Brother Yosef Trisno, Brother Paskalis Wangga, Elfried Aniceto, Brother Ad Hems, Nelleke Verstijnen.

Translation: Nathalie Bastiaansen, Brother Edward Gresnigt, Peter Huybers, Father Jan van der Kaa AA, Tony Verhallen.

Design: Layout: Printing:

Heldergroen, The Netherlands DekoVerdivas, The Netherlands Franciscan Kolbe Press, Kenya

Contact: Brothers CMM, Rhapta Road, P.O.Box 14916 Nairobi, Westlands 00800, Kenya E-mail: Brother Leo van de Weijer: brotherleo42@gmail.com Contact: Brothers CMM, P.O.Box 89, Windhoek, Namibia E-mail: Brother Athanasius Onyoni: atonyoni@yahoo.com E-mail: magazine@cmmbrothers.nl Website: www.cmmbrothers.org Photograph front cover: The Jubilee Year celebration continues in Namibia at the square in front of the church.

Photo: Benedict Ashipala (WWB Namibia).

The Prodigal Son, Rembrandt.

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Photograph back cover: Anish Kapoor, Sky Mirror (for Hendrik), Museum De Pont, Tilburg.

Photo: Brother Ad de Kok.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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CONCERNING JOANNES ZWIJSEN

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THE JUBILEE YEAR IN RETROSPECT

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FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD This edition of Brothers CMM is mainly a retrospective of the Jubilee Year. We celebrated the 175th anniversary of the Congregation, and that’s not insignificant. The Jubilee is reflected in various sections. For example, in the section ‘Images of Apostolate’ you can see how the Jubilee Project ‘Sheltering the Homeless’ was realized in Namibia and in the Netherlands.

The contribution to the series ‘In the spotlight’ shows paintings by Brother Alfons Aerts (1919-1979). His work was also included in the exhibition ‘Kunstbroeders’ (Brothers in Art), which was organized at the Generalate on the occasion of the Jubilee. Of course there are also many photographs of the activities that took place in the various countries in honour of the 175th anniversary of CMM. On page 17 you will find an article about yet another anniversary, namely that of the refugee shelter in De Vuurhaard.

But... we don’t just look back at the Jubilee Year: we also look ahead. For example in the column of the Superior General, and in a beautiful contribution by Mr. Elfried Aniceto, who has exciting plans for the brothers in Kenya. In the series ‘See my people’, Brother Ad Hems tells us what makes him happy.

With this cheerful brother we close the last edition of Brothers CMM in 2019. On to 2020, when another important event will take place: the General Chapter. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy 2020.

FUTURE DREAMS FOR KENYA

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20 YEARS CARE OF REFUGEES

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NEWS IN BRIEF

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SEE MY PEOPLE

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CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPERIOR GENERAL

Doing just a little extra in our mission of mercy…

Looking back on our Jubilee Year we can say it was a time of thanksgiving and of joyful celebrations. We were enriched by the richness of our own history. Also, by the kind words, the warm congratulations and the generous gifts of many people in different countries.

It was encouraging to see how our work is appreciated by so many people around us.

During the Jubilee Year, we not only celebrated what happened on that Sunday, August 25 in the year 1844, but were also reminded of what followed: that a countless number of small but courageous steps were taken. The mission of our Congregation, as indicated

by Bishop Zwijsen, is the mission of mercy. This was also the mission of our patron saint Vincent de Paul, it is the mission of the world Church, and it is nothing less than the mission that Jesus himself engaged in.

In other words: this mission of mercy is the real and much larger story around which everything pivots, and it is much older than 175 years!

We consider the Jubilee Year as call to continue that mission of mercy, very simply and very concretely. The motto of the General Chapter 2020 reflects this idea of ‘being called’: Called to be merciful brothers, joyful and courageous in today’s world

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And yes, we live in a complex world and in a challenging time. There is a decrease of membership in some of our countries. Our financial resources are declining, and we cannot do everything we consider important. We note that the world around us questions the validity of religious life. Can we respond to these challenges in a courageous way? Can we do this in a joyful way while inspiring others to do the same?

Vincent de Paul talks about ‘faire davantage’: do what you have to do, and still a bit more.

Our Jubilee Project ‘Sheltering the Homeless’ reflects the idea of doing a little extra. We have our daily apostolate, our schools and policlinics, our work as board member or project leader or teacher. This work deserves our dedication and our energy. But there are always others that also need our attention. We should not lose sight of those who are not immediately under our responsibility.

I invite you to consider the following question, and then try to act upon the answers you come up with: How can we respond more radically to the call being merciful? How can we bring the spirit of Zwijsen, Vincent and Mary, Mother of Mercy, into our life and work today?

Brother Lawrence Obiko in an interview with Nathalie Bastiaansen

IMAGES OF APOSTOLATE

SHELTERING THE HOMELESS IN NAMIBIA AND IN THE NETHERLANDS Worldwide the Congregation is being confronted with all sorts of material and spiritual needs. The brothers, together with others, are trying to alleviate these. In the fourteenth episode of this feature we present some activities from the worldwide Jubilee Project of the brothers: ‘Sheltering the Homeless’.

The motto of the Jubilee Year was derived from the rule of life of the brothers: “to serve and enlighten, to speak a redeeming word, to be a helping hand”.

The brothers wanted to take this motto seriously.

Therefore, one of the initiatives in the Jubilee Year was the project Sheltering the Homeless. With this project the brothers join the FamVin Homeless Alliance of the worldwide Vincentian Family. The brothers are grateful for the donations they received for this purpose. With the financial support of brothers and sisters in other congregations and many other friends and sponsors, the brothers have now started to realize their plans.

From ‘house’ to ‘home’ in Namibia In Namibia the brothers encountered the 75-year-old Elizabeth Katrina. When she was younger, she worked for the Church and had a modest salary. When many refugees from Congo and Angola came to Namibia (at the end of the 1990s), the Church asked her to help with the reception and guidance of these refugees. The parish in Windhoek provided a house where Elizabeth could live for free and where she could take care of the refugees. When she retired, she had to leave the house. From her pension allowance she bought a piece of land and built a house. However, she did not have enough resources to complete the construction and to furnish the house, but she saw no other solution than to go and live in it anyway. It was not a real ‘home’.

Because Elizabeth had been always ready to take care of others and ‘sheltered the homeless’, the brothers in Namibia felt that she was eligible for a helping hand from the brothers’ Jubilee Project. Her unfinished house was turned into a home. It needed water pipes for sanitary and kitchen facilities; a sink, toilet and shower were placed, the walls were plastered, painted or tiled, and electricity was installed. On October 1, 2019, Elizabeth finally had a house to call ‘home’.

A proud and happy Elizabeth in front of her own home.

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IMAGES OF APOSTOLATE

The situation before.

The sanitary facilities are being placed.

The shower is ready to be tiled and painted.

Stucco and paintwork in the living room, the floor tiles are already present.

The kitchen cupboards are being put together.

Elizabeth is happy.

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The kitchen sink is being placed.

The tap is connected already.

The entrance of the house.

Beds in the Netherlands You might not expect it, but poverty also exists in a rich country like the Netherlands. There are families who don’t have enough money to pay the monthly rent and electricity bills, they have debts and can’t afford healthy food. In these families, there is often also not enough money to buy a bed with warm blankets.

However, parents prefer not to tell this to social services, because they are afraid that they think they are bad parents who do not love their child enough to give them a decent bed.

A bed and blankets: it might not seem as a big deal for Dutch people, but for these children something essential has changed: they can now sleep well and therefore go to school with more energy. Now they also have the courage to invite friends, because they are no longer ashamed of their room, which used to have only a bare mattress. And the parents? They are very grateful for the generous gifts. Knowing that their needs were noticed and partly solved is for them a great consolation.

Sometimes, however, when a counsellor gets into a trusted relationship with a family, you may get to know this ‘secret’. But even then, a solution is not immediately at hand, because there are no special agencies providing free beds: the problem was hidden, so looking for a solution was never even thought of.

The ‘Team against Poverty’ in Tilburg was worried about this and had found a charitable organization willing to donate a certain amount of money.

Beds, mattresses and bedding were bought at very reasonable prices. With help of the infrastructure of the welfare organization ContourdeTwern in Tilburg and efforts of many volunteers, many beds for poor families were placed in Tilburg.

Soon it turned out that there were many more applications than the available money could cover, and a waiting list developed. The ‘Team against Poverty’ did not want to disappoint the children. So, they started looking for extra sponsors, which they found also at the brothers. Thanks to the Brothers CMM’s Jubilee Project ‘Sheltering the Homeless’ in the Netherlands, another 209 children from 98 families received a new bed.

A new bed with a cheerful duvet full of love.

A lovely card with words of gratitude.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Snow landscape, n.d., acrylic on board.

THE VERSATILE ALFONS AERTS In the past and today, there are quite some brothers with creative skills. They make paintings, drawings, sculptures, or beautiful craftwork. It gives a different, sometimes unknown insight into the makers. This feature puts a selection from this work in the spotlight. Part 6 in this series highlights the work of Brother Alfons Aerts.

His work was also on display and for sale during the jubilee exposition ‘Brothers in Art’ in the Generalate in September 2019.

Brother Alfons Aerts (1919-1979) took courses at the Municipal Academy in Genk, Belgium. He painted primarily landscapes, but also religious scenes. He always searched for new materials and techniques and created his works in oils, acrylics, watercolours, etchings or ceramics. Since the 1960s Brother Aerts exhibited his artwork in local galleries in Hasselt but also beyond. He won the ‘Audience Award’ at the International Exhibition ‘Arts for All’ in Brussels in 1976.

Landscape, n.d., acrylic on board.

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Landscape, n.d., mixed media on board.

Ship in Harbour, n.d., oil painting on canvas.

Samaritan Woman (John 4:7), 1971 oil or acrylic on canvas.

Some works of Alfons Aerts at the Jubilee Exhibition “Brothers in Art”.

Abstract, 1966, oil or acrylic on canvas.

Abstract, 1967, etching on paper.

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CONCERNING JOANNES ZWIJSEN

THE FOURTH VOW

Roman Catholic Boys’ Orphanage Printworks: printing house with brothers and orphans in 1909.

The first seven brothers received very different formations before meeting up in Tilburg. What their noviciates had in common is that they prepared the young men for a life based on the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in an institutional setting. They had to get used to a strict daily routine, silence and learn to bear the various aspects of asceticism. They also had to learn to live within religious rules, they familiarized themselves with community life and the liturgical prayer routine. They were also introduced to various apostolates.

Thus, they lived according to the three common religious vows, but also took a fourth vow, sometimes referred to as the ‘vow of mercy’ or the ‘vow of merciful action’. It was a tradition for the fourth vow to express the specific charism of a religious community. For the Sisters of Zwijsen, the vow of mercy was interpreted as follows: They were “sent to perform works of charity at the risk of life, for example to care for a contagious sick person”. With the brothers the interpretation of the fourth vow remained more general. Zwijsen usually called it ‘the fourth vow’, describing it but never explicitly naming it. The essence was that the fourth vow expressed the total devotion and service to others. The fourth vow, however, could not be freely interpreted, but had to be filled in as a community and in obedience to the superior. Zwijsen wrote:

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Finally, you will be bound by the fourth vow to focus your efforts on serving your fellow man. You will no longer have the choice to dedicate yourself to those good works which appeal to you the most by your natural instincts and personal feelings, nor to the people or individuals in society to whom you would wish to offer your services or be of use to: you will be obliged to carry out such work as approved by your superior and to go where he sends you.

When the first brother house was opened in 1845, the first work of charity (the care of orphans) had already been agreed upon. The first orphans would only arrive in November, but already in September, on the very first day the brothers met and discussed their tasks, the absolute priority of this mission was made clear.

All brothers of the first hour were assigned a task in the orphans’ shelter. With merciful dedication, their fourth vow, they started with that task.

Based on Bishop Zwijsen and his First Brothers. History of the Brothers of Our Lady Mother of Mercy, Volume 1,

by Charles van Leeuwen (Valkhof Press, 2014).

INTERNATIONAL

THE JUBILEE YEAR IN RETROSPECT We can look back on a joyful Jubilee Year, full of activities and festivities. Eucharistic celebrations, lectures, festive meals, expositions, performances, moments of reflection… too much to be presented here, so we selected some of the events of the anniversary.

Brother Henrique Matos speaks about the history of CMM.

International videoconference for temporary professed brothers

Lecture about the history of the Congregation in Brazil

On 7 August 2019, as part of the 175th anniversary, an international video conference took place, among the brothers with temporary profession in Indonesia, Timor Leste, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, and Brazil.

At the Vicente de Paulo Retreat Center in Igarapé, Brazil, a lecture on the history of the Congregation was held on 25 August 2019. Brother Henrique Matos told his story to an interested audience, consisting of laymen and religious from Belo Horizonte, Colonel Fabriciano, St. Joaquim de Bicas and Igarapé.

In the introduction Brother Benyamin Tunggu, a member of the General Board, said: “It is a great joy to come together by means of this videoconference. This modern medium enables you to see each other and talk to each other across borders. It is a special encounter, because it is the first time that this is done in this way in our Congregation. Our meeting today can strengthen in our Congregation our sense of brotherhood. We walk together on the same path. Let us support each other and build an optimistic future. We are the heirs of the history of the Congregation, and as temporary professed brothers you are the hope for the future of our Congregation.”

Many friends of the brothers and Ambassadors WWB in Brazil came to Igarapé to celebrate the Jubilee Year.

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INTERNATIONAL

Bishop Gerard de Korte congratulates the Superior General.

Activities for youth in Indonesia In Aek Tolang and Balige in August 2019 several activities were organized, especially for young people.

There were sports competitions, and on 18 August there was a youth seminar in Aek Tolang with the theme: ‘Strengthening faith and vocations in the industrial era 4.0’. The seminar was facilitated by the Brothers Antonius Sipahutar and Yohanes Andianus.

There was also a seminar for young people in Balige on 23 August. Brother Paskalis Wangga addressed the young people and emphasized the importance of development: “Learning, learning, learning and keep on learning”, and he encouraged them to explore and develop their talents, and to deal with them creatively.

Temporary professed brothers meet in Indonesia At the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the Congregation of the Brothers CMM some 20 young brothers from different communities in Indonesia came to the city of Yogyakarta. From 5 to 9 August, 2019, a meeting was held here for temporary professed brothers.

young brothers in Indonesia ended with an evaluation and a celebration of the Eucharist, presided over by Father Yan. In his sermon Father Yan stated that the Congregation is in the hands of young brothers, “for tomorrow we, who are old, will die. That is why the young brothers who are present today must be faithful and continue to dedicate themselves to their vocation.

Look for a good balance between prayer, community life and the tasks that the Congregation entrusts to you.”

Celebrations In all countries prayer and Eucharistic celebrations were held on the occasion of the Jubilee Year.

Worldwide, parishioners, sisters and brothers of other congregations, priests, bishops, Ambassadors WWB, family members and friends celebrated the feast of the Congregation.

Brother Alfons Seran CMM gave a lecture on the spirituality and history of the Congregation. Brother Daniel Telaumbanua CMM presented an overview of CMM in Indonesia, and Brother Frans Kilat CMM spoke about the Don Bosco Foundation and the Fransiskus Assisi Foundation. Brother Blasius Perang CMM had an inspiring story entitled: ‘We are brothers, we are young, we are millennials’.

On 7 August the young brothers took part in the international video conference. The meeting of the 12

Brother Broer Huitema as choral conductor of the brothers at the Eucharistic celebration in the Netherlands on 25 August 2019.

After Holy Mass in Namibia, the feast continued on the square in front of the church.

In Timor Leste there was a triple celebration: during the Jubilee Year celebration Brother Rosario de Jesus Martins made his profession for life, and the new formation house in Hera was opened.

Brother Eurico de Fatima Amaral and Brother Andre Neno Abi during the anniversary celebration in Timor Leste.

Brothers in Namibia sing during the Eucharist celebrating the Jubilee Year.

Exposition of paintings On the occasion of the Jubilee Year of the Brothers CMM, paintings by five brothers were on display at the Generalate and offered for sale at the exposition ‘Brothers in Art’. There were works by the Brothers Alfons Aerts, Antoon Brugmans, Vincenzo de Kok, Paschalius Vervest, and Humberto Wouters. The proceeds of the sale went to the Jubilee Project Sheltering the Homeless (see pages 5-7).

René Munnik (l), curator of the exposition “Brothers in Art”, with the family of Brother Humberto Wouters, one of the artists.

Exposition “Brothers in Art”.

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INTERNATIONAL

Exposition about the brothers then and now From 25 August until 20 October 2019, there was an exposition at Peerke Donders Pavilion in Tilburg with the title: ‘Mission of Mercy - 175 Years of the Brothers of Tilburg’. By means of 11 panels with text, pictures and objects from the collection of the brothers, the story was told of the Brothers CMM, better known as the ‘Brothers of Tilburg’.

During the exposition period three lectures were presented on the heritage of the brothers. Johan Willemse, chairman of the Movement of Mercy, spoke about mercy as the ‘Spiritual Heritage’ of the brothers.

Michiel van Kempen, professor of Dutch-Caribbean literature at the University of Amsterdam, gave a lecture on the ‘Written Heritage’. He highlighted the contribution of the brothers to Surinamese literature and culture. The third lecture was about the brothers’ ‘Cultural Heritage’. Art historian Joost van Hest elaborated on how objects from the collection of the brothers express something about the identity of the brothers.

Brother Niek Hanckmann (r) in conversation with visitors of the exposition “Mission of Mercy”.

Opening of the exposition “Mission of Mercy” by Brother Lawrence Obiko.

The story of the brothers was told in panels with text, pictures and with objects from the Congregation’s cultural heritage.

Exposition in Kenya On the occasion of the Jubilee Year, there was also in the library of the OIP in Oyugis, Kenya, an exposition on the history of the Congregation. The exposition was put together by the Provincial Superior Brother Leo van de Weijer and Brother Augustine Monari Nyansimora, a member of the Provincial Board.

Brother Videlis Minyega explains the exposition to the students of the St. Vincent de Paul School in Mosocho.

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Good memories of the anniversary

Brother Ad Hems during the exposition “Mission of Mercy”.

Brother Niek Hanckmann presents the brothers in Zonhoven (B) with a gift: a photo frame with on the right a picture of Joannes Zwijsen, and on the left a mirror. In this way every brother can see himself standing next to Zwijsen.

Brother Theo Hera, Archbishop Kornelius Sipayung of Medan, and Brother Martinus Mangundap in a good conversation during the Jubilee Year celebrations in Indonesia.

Also the brothers in the Netherlands received this memento, offered here by Superior General Brother Lawrence Obiko.

A gift from Mr. Elfried Aniceto to the General Board. His daughter and grandchild were the models for this beautiful Madonna and Child, painted by Merly Trappenberg Gomez, Curaçao.

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KENYA

Mr. Elfried Aniceto and Brother Leo van de Weijer at the St. Vincent de Paul Elementary School in Mosocho.

FUTURE DREAMS FOR KENYA From 2 September till 14 September, 2019, Mr. Elfried Aniceto was in Kenya to learn more about the Brothers CMM and their projects. Mr. Aniceto is the secretary of the St. Thomas College Foundation at Curaçao. This foundation aims to preserve the heritage of the brothers on Curaçao.

My main goal was to find out how I could contribute to the brothers’ mission. I have visited the schools and projects of CMM in Kenya and have great respect for the accomplishments of the brothers. What impressed me most were the anti-HIV project, the Fr. Grol’s Welfare Trust Prisoners are people too, the school for deaf and blind children and the secondary school in Soweto. The children and the situation in the slums of Soweto moved me deeply. I have never experienced poverty so close and profound in my life.

Roll up the sleeves Nowadays the brothers face great challenges, but I am convinced that the young brothers from Kenya will roll up their sleeves and take the responsibility to continue the mission. It is my sincere wish to support these young brothers based on their specific needs.

Besides their spiritual formation it is desirable to offer them courses in personal development in order to keep their passion, spirit and the mission of the founder Joannes Zwijsen alive. The brothers should have the opportunity to get out of their comfort zone and to make a paradigm shift to deal with the challenges of the Congregation in a rapidly changing world.

Challenge camp It is my dream to bring twelve brothers to Curaçao for a retreat in our ‘challenge camp’ at the Retreat Center Emaus. Together with an expert in adventure training we can offer them some basic skills in teambuilding, conflict resolution, personality types, ethics and leadership. These brothers will be the facilitators to reach a larger group of students to make a difference in their life. Hopefully this will create a ripple effect so that more children can benefit from the program. After the training on site we can continue these workshops through webinars. The plan for this project is almost ready and our next challenge is to find sponsors to implement these projects.

Hope I am humble and don’t pretend to have a solution for all the challenges the Brothers CMM are facing, but the enthusiasm and passion I saw is a clear sign that there is HOPE. My sincere gratitude to Brother Lawrence Obiko, Brother Leo van de Weijer, and all the young Kenyan brothers. It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience that will transform my life forever. Karibu (welcome) in Curaçao.

Elfried Aniceto Secretary St. Thomas College Foundation, Curaçao

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THE ‘Zie mijn NETHERLANDS mensen’

20 YEARS CARE OF REFUGEES IN DE VUURHAARD – UDENHOUT On 1 September 2019 it was 20 years ago that the Brothers Kees Mateijsen and Ad de Kok moved from Scheveningen to the house of the brothers in Udenhout to take on the care of refugees. The Brothers Gerard Verstijnen and Simon van den Broek were already living there. Initially the brothers worked in partnership with De Vuurdoop in Tilburg and later with Caring for Refugees, in Central-Brabant.

The refugees

20 Years Vuurhaard

The refugees who live at De Vuurhaard (The Fireplace) have spent already quite some time, sometimes several years, in asylum centers, where they were told to leave the Netherlands. Organizations like De Vuurdoop and later Caring for Refugees were convinced that these people did have a reasonable chance to obtain permanent residence, e.g. on medical grounds. There are also countries that have been declared safe, but in fact are not safe yet, and there are countries that do not want to take back their own people who fled. Thus, what choices do refugees have?

The brothers, associates and volunteers of De Vuurhaard celebrated this 20 years’ anniversary with a prayer service in the chapel of the brother house. They read Psalm 36, How precious is your mercy, O God! The children of Adam take refuge in the shadow of your wings. And also some words from Deuteronomy 10:19, So you too should love the resident alien, for that is what you were in the land of Egypt.

For all these hundreds of people, who during the last 20 years found shelter in De Vuurhaard, this community of the Brothers CMM has been a place where they could settle down, find some peace, and work out solutions for their often hopeless situations.

Near 50% of those that came to De Vuurhaard obtained permanent residence. Others went back to their country of origin or chose to live here illegally.

Cooking and eating together The afternoon concluded with a meal prepared by the refugees and volunteers, serving food from the countries where the refugees originated from. It was like an 'eatery' as it has been held weekly in De Vuurhaard for almost 20 years, for about 40 guests from the province of Brabant. At the conclusion of the meal the guests were presented with a booklet filled with photographs and texts about the Brothers CMM. It described what inspires them, what the refugee issue is all about and how it is being dealt with.

The future?

At present the community of De Vuurhaard consists of five brothers. In view of the fact that the brothers are getting older and also as a result of the increasingly larger medical and psychological problems of the refugees the brothers have to deal with, it was decided that in the course of this year the care of refugees will stop. The brothers hope and pray that others will continue to look after them.

Brother Ad de Kok CMM (The Netherlands)

A refugee with her child at De Vuurhaard.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

JUBILEES IN 2020 70 years 19 March: Brother AndrĂŠ de Veer, Brother Laurenti Verhoeven.

29 August: Brother Adriano van den Berg, Brother Piet Dilissen, Brother Leopoldus Spreuwers, Brother Wim Verschuren.

65 years 29 August: Brother Wout van den Hout, Brother Linus Schoutsen, Brother Ad de Swart.

READER SURVEY The responses to the survey, as well as the specific suggestions included in them, delight the editors.

Two things stand out: one group of readers likes to read about the history of the Congregation; another group shows interest in the brothers’ life and the work today. We always attempt to find the right balance in the selection of the contributions we publish. We likewise pay attention to other ideas and suggestions.

Currently we do know the three winners of the book Barmhartige Liefde (Merciful Love). We have notified them and sent them the books.

Take a look at the website www.cmmbrothers.org

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60 years 29 August: Brother Edward Gresnigt, Brother Ad Hems, Brother Ben Maijvis, Brother Kees Mateijsen, Brother Henrique Matos.

25 years 30 April: Brother Rofinus Banunaek, Brother Agustinus Farneubun, Brother Benediktus Jeujanan, Brother Alfons Seran.

‘Zie ‘SEEmijn MY PEOPLE’ mensen’

YOU ARE A BROTHER YOUR ENTIRE LIFE Mercy and brotherhood are two concepts in the charism of the Brothers CMM. Beautiful words. But what happens in the reality of the everyday life of the brothers? That’s what is highlighted in this feature ‘See my people’. Brother Ad Hems did missionary work in Indonesia for more than 48 years. Since 2018 he lives in the Netherlands again and resides at the community of Joannes Zwijsen . He speaks about a simple day of his life.

Brother Ad Hems and Brother Adriano van den Berg in the Joannes Zwijsen community.

One day, while reading one of the earlier issues of the magazine Brothers CMM, I suddenly felt again more intensely that I am a CMM brother.

Immediately I sent the editors an email to convey my compliments. Following that I also sent a message of appreciation to some of the authors to thank them: to Brother Franciscus Linus for his article entitled ‘Postmillennial Brothers’ and to Brother Wilfridus Brea for his observation that “being present to others does not mean that you have to do great things”. That is nice, right? I know both brothers well because they too were missionaries in North Sumatera, where I myself worked for quite some time.

The contributions by the Ambassadors of Namibia and Brazil made me happy as well. The actions of the WWB (Ambassadors of a Worldwide Brotherhood) clearly inspired many young people to promote mercy and brotherhood worldwide. Brother James Makovo CMM from Kenya showed that the education of children

Brother Godfried Kanen (97), the oldest brother, together with Brother Ben Maijvis.

continues to be a significant work of charity for the brothers. It felt good as well to read the column ‘Concerning Joannes Zwijsen’ and meet in it Vincent de Paul again, the patron of our works of mercy; over twelve statues of St. Vincent were the subject of discussion!

In short, I am happy to be a brother when I read what my fellow brothers are doing in the Netherlands and abroad. We get a bit older in the Netherlands, yet brothers never go into ‘retirement’. Seventeen older brothers (average age 82½) now live in our community at Joannes Zwijsen in Tilburg. Quite a few of them serve in taking care of the needy older ones among them. We help one another. One might say that we live in a community where all day we see numerous forms of mercy and brotherhood come to life. Very simply, without pretense, it simply happens ‘between the soup and the potatoes’. It’s beautiful to behold.

Brother Ad Hems CMM (the Netherlands)

The Brothers Joop van Dooremaal, Johannes Berchmans van Berkel and the superior of the community, Caspar Geertman.

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WHEN WE EXPERIENCE AVERSION AND SPIRITUAL DARKNESS LET US CALL TO MIND THOSE TIMES WHICH WERE FILLED WITH GOD’S PRESENCE AND LET US KEEP OUR HEARTS OPEN IN HOPE AND EXPECTATION. (from the Rule of Life of the Brothers CMM)

Magazine of the Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy