Magazine Brothers CMM 2021/1

BROTHERS CMM 1/21

m aga zine

| BEING A BROTHER IS A VOCATION | STORIES FROM YESTERDAY: THE GUARDIAN ANGEL | IN THE SPOTLIGHT: MURALS OF BROTHER MARCUS HUAR NONING | A BIG CHANGE IN COLÉGIO PADRE EUSTÁQUIO | IMAGES OF APOSTOLATE: BROTHERHOOD | AT LAST A PLACE IN THEIR PROMISED LAND | SEE MY PEOPLE: THE MERCIFUL LOVE OF BROTHER WIM VERSCHUREN |

Take a look at the website www.cmmbrothers.org

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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BEING A BROTHER IS A VOCATION

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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 T. Robiwala.

Contributors: Brother Lawrence Obiko, Nathalie Bastiaansen, Brother Kevin Mairura, Harry Koopman, Brother Henrique Matos, Nelleke Verstijnen, Brother Ad de Kok, Brother Wim Verschuren.

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: Brother Marcus Huar Noning, Indonesia.

The Prodigal Son, Rembrandt.

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Photograph back cover: ‘Rejoicing for new life’. Photo: Brother Ad de Kok.

STORIES OF THE PAST: THE GUARDIAN ANGEL

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT:

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MARCUS HUAR NONING

FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD It is now 2021. The coronavirus is unfortunately still there, and again we had to deal with a great loss. Brother Wim Verschuren passed away on Boxing Day. Pages 18 and 19 are dedicated to him. With the arrival of a vaccine there is a cautious glimmer of hope. Hang in there! In the conversation with the Superior General, Brother Lawrence Obiko speaks about how he finds his peace in these uncertain and difficult times. Also hopeful: in ‘News in Brief’ on page 16 you can read about the profession for life of a young brother in East Timor. On this occasion, the Archbishop of Dili expressed his gratitude for the specific vocation of becoming a brother. On page 5 you will read a reflection of Brother Kevin Mairura from Kenya on precisely that specific vocation. In ‘Stories of the Past’ Harry Koopman writes about ‘The Guardian Angel’, a youth magazine of the Brothers CMM. ‘In the Spotlight’ we see Brother Marcus Huar Noning, a young brother from Indonesia who makes beautiful murals. There is also news from Brazil, about a big change for the Colégio Padre Eustáquio.

Brother Henrique Matos recalls the early days of this school. In ‘Images of Apostolate’ we see that the brothers are not only concerned with people outside the Congregation, but also look out for each other. In Brothers CMM 3/20 you read about the closing of the brother house ‘De Vuurhaard’ and the end of receiving refugees there. This story has a surprising ending, you can read about it on page 15.

CHANGES AT COLÉGIO PADRE EUSTÁQUIO

IMAGES OF APOSTOLATE:

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BROTHERHOOD

AT LAST A PLACE IN

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THEIR PROMISED LAND

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NEWS IN BRIEF

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IN MEMORIAM

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SEE MY PEOPLE

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CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPERIOR GENERAL

In your spare time you paint. It results in beautiful paintings. What else does it bring you?

It helps me to find balance. Life is like the sea.

Sometimes the water is calm and peaceful, sometimes the waves are rough, sometimes there is a dangerous stream under the surface of the water, and sometimes it is lovely to just float on the waves. The calm moments are nice, but what will help us to face those moments of turbulence?

It is so important that we find something that refreshes us and restores our energy. Not only to face those moments of turbulence, but also to simply break away from the daily routine from time to time. Our Constitutions provide very specific guidelines about this. “In all the cares brought on by our busy daily work we do not forget the need of regular relaxation.

We need those periods of rest, of recreation and relaxation, to restore our energies and to get away from our work. This is good for us personally as well as for our community” (Const. I, 242-244). We are encouraged to find “room for initiative and creativity” (I, 90). Some may find this in sports, others in reading books or making music, I find myself at peace in painting.

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My paintings are mostly Biblically motivated.

Especially Biblical stories of hope or about nature inspire me. Why nature? In nature, I find purity. Nature is not complicated; it is what it is. A flower will not try to become a bird. A landscape is as it is, and even if it changes gradually over time, it will not object to that. It is what it is. Painting nature helps me to grow towards that purity and calmness. In facing a difficult situation, I can (and I should) try my best to improve it, but there is a point where this responsibility stops: where a situation is as it is, and I have to accept that I am not the one to change it. Like creation, I can leave this to God. Brother Lawrence Obiko in an interview with Nathalie Bastiaansen

REFLECTION

BEING A BROTHER IS A VOCATION, NOT A CAREER Reflecting about vocation, its meaning may vary from one individual to another, but a vocation is not ‘a career’.

“God’s call directs itself towards the individual person, but in union with others. Together we journey through life in the small group of the community and in the larger group of the Congregation” (Constitutions I, 93-94).

Some people may tend to think more in the direction of a career than a vocation. A career is about progression in the form of regular promotion, which increases your reward and your status. A vocation is something you really want to do, whether it makes you rich or famous or not: the work itself is the reward.

A religious vocation is a special gift from God that is received in faith and discerned in prayer. A vocation to brotherhood is not more important than any other, but unique and sweet, once it is lived well by the guidance of the holy Spirit. Being a religious exposes a brother to more opportunities of service and closeness to God.

In this journey we are called to be happy but also to accept challenges. No one is perfect and holy, but it is a personal responsibility to grow towards holiness. From my personal experience I can freely confirm that life is a process that needs support and encouragement from one another, and in this context we need brotherly support, not competition. A calling to brotherhood is the plan of God for our lives.

Anybody has the freedom to challenge that, but if God has called me, it is my own responsibility to respond to that authentic voice and live it to the fullest.

Nowadays the vocation to religious life has tremendously declined and this prompts me to ask: is it true that it is God who calls people? And if so, does it mean He has stopped calling? Or have those who have been called declined to respond? Or have I contributed in sending away those God has called? This and many more questions can be lingering in my mind. But we should give this life the respect and dignity it deserves in terms of morality, respect for one another, justice, unity and love, with Jesus as the best example. After that God will do the rest.

2 Thessalonians 2:14 states: “To this end He has called you through our Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Reflecting on this verse I feel that the Gospel and the life of Jesus should define our life.

Religious life is precious and satisfactory if I accept the plan of God in my life and avoid complicating things. For that reason, I should strive to make the community a home for everyone, despite the differences in culture and race.

Brother Kevin Mairura CMM (Kenya)

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STORIES OF THE PAST

THE GUARDIAN ANGEL The Congregation of the Brothers CMM is the proud owner of an archival collection which contains all the editions of the youth magazine The Guardian Angel. Harry Koopman had the opportunity to leaf through this collection and it turned into a special experience which took him back in time.

History in broad strokes

Adjustments

‘The Guardian Angel’, with the subtitle ‘Monthly Magazine for the Promotion of the Religious Formation of Children’ was launched in 1885, “by a Roman Catholic priest” and was published in Maastricht by the St. Paul Society. The subtitle indicates that the magazine was initially meant for adults. The founder sold the monthly magazine after five years to a publisher in Grave, who quickly realized that his investment would not be profitable. After only ten issues he transferred the printing process to another company, the Roman Catholic Boys’ Orphanage Printworks, in Tilburg. The very next year the Brothers of Tilburg acquired formal ownership.

During the first ten years the editorial staff paid little attention to what would be of interest to young readers. The founding years of the magazine were driven by what was provided, the use of language was solemn, and the messages propagated were meant for others. Little by little the presentation became more professional. Toward the end of 1941, the Nazis, who occupied The Netherlands, closed the magazine. In a book entitled “Zwijsen, a Passion for Publishing”, the author explains that after World War II the brothers wanted to expand the circulation with the cooperation of other congregations. The Brothers of Maastricht accepted the offer, on the condition that there would be a special edition for the younger pupils of the elementary school level. This request illustrates the insight for the necessity of addressing the different levels of potential readers. As a result, the 59th edition of May 1947 saw two versions of ‘The Guardian Angel’.

The subtitle for the older children’s edition reads: ‘First Youth Magazine for the Catholic Family’, and the subtitle for the other one reads: ‘The Edition for the Younger Readers’.

Left and right front page with a guardian angel in 1893.

Since 1893 every front page would display the protective value of the guardian angel.

The Congregation of the brothers turned ‘The Guardian Angel’ into a success. Not until 1958 did the Congregation sell the magazine to the publishing house De Spaarnestad, in Haarlem. The new owners merged ‘The Guardian Angel’ with its youth magazines ‘Okki’ and ‘Taptoe’.

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Sometime during the 1950s the subtitle of the edition for the older children subtly changed to: ‘Magazine for the Catholic Family’. Could this have been an attempt by the Brothers of Tilburg to introduce an alternative for the ‘Catholic Illustrator’ of De Spaarnestad? In 1951 the Roman Catholic Boys’ Orphanage Printworks launched a third version of ’The Guardian Angel’, namely a monthly magazine for high school students, ‘Under the Golden Wing of the Guardian Angel’.

Content For many years the content was hard to digest. It was very serious and saturated with Roman Catholic topics! Volume 6, for instance, presents a multiple issue story of “Travels and Hardships of the Franciscan Brother Petrus Fardé”. In many subsequent instances

the magazine remains thoroughly Catholic, with stories like: “The Communion Dress of Little Mia” (April 1947).

The magazine supplements the usual dry fare with puzzles and mentally challenging assignments. The image of the editorial staff of their readers becomes obvious with a recruiting action at the end of volume 1900/1901. To recruit new subscribers the membership is promised rich rewards for their work. Two new subscriptions will be honored with a prize of one of the following three: “My Daily Mass Booklet”, “A New Prayer Book”, or “The Road to Mount Calvary”!

In the 1950-1959 decade, the brothers demonstrate to be smart pedagogues. In the youth magazine for the Catholic family runs a long-lasting competition in which all members are invited to participate. The participants must solve problems in secret code, by which they slowly become familiar with the code language ‘lek’. What really happens is that the participants slowly learn a new, popular language: Esperanto!

While leafing through the volumes of my youth, I imagined that I recognized certain illustrations, like the vacation front cover of July 1954.

Incentive for learning to read “The Guardian Angel for Younger Readers” was a clever tool of the brothers to keep the beginning readers busy after school hours. My father and mother were snookered into a subscription when in October 1953, I was in first grade. The possibility to subscribe later did not seem possible, which placed me at a disadvantage from the start. Since the youth magazine at that time appeared biweekly, my parents had plenty of opportunity to test the progress of their son’s reading ability. I remember how I regularly disappointed my dad, for even after three months of reading instruction, most reading assignments were still beyond me. Could these experiences have contributed to my adult predisposition to perfection?

When in October 1957 my mother suddenly placed a copy of ‘Okki’ in my hands, the contents of the magazine greatly disappointed me. I was ten years old and just started fifth grade. Now, afterwards, I realize that I had entered the group of the ‘older youth’ and was automatically subscribed to the accompanying edition of ‘The Guardian Angel’. Were the brothers aware that their magazine would soon merge with ‘Okki’ and ’Taptoe’? Since I considered ‘Okki’ too childish, the subscription went to my younger brother and I got a subscription to ‘Taptoe’. Now in 2021, the magazine does not elicit any emotions in me, this in contrast to ‘The Guardian Angel’. Seemingly, my adventure in learning how to read created a warm emotional bond with this magazine!

Harry Koopman

Sources - All volumes of ‘The Guardian Angel’ - Caesarius Mommers and Ger Janssen, ‘Zwijsen, a Passion for Publishing’ (Tilburg, Publishing Company Zwijsen, 1992).

The feeling of ‘freedom’ perfectly illustrated.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A mural with a poem.

MURALS IN INDONESIA 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 10 in this series highlights murals of the talented Brother Marcus Huar Noning from Indonesia.

Even at secondary school Marcus already showed something of a talent for drawing and painting, but he really discovered his potential when he participated in a two-month long training for novices at ‘Bina Samadi’, a formation center for young religious in Pematang Siantar. “There Sister Rosa KSSY, who was in charge, allowed me to create texts and pictures on the walls. It was then that I got really interested and got more and more engaged in it. I was able to really develop my skills in painting.”

One of the things that inspires Marcus is the history and spirituality of the Congregation. He thus painted the Founder, Joannes Zwijsen and our patron Saint

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Vincent de Paul. He prefers to paint realistic portraits and landscapes. Abstract art or purely decorative pictures have less of an appeal to him. He feels that his painting activity is also connected to his life as a religious brother. “Painting is a channel for the longing of the heart and the spirit; it helps me to remain focused,” Marcus says. When he starts a new work he always tries to rely on God’s power and intervention.

He trusts that God will help him in making something beautiful. “What God has given, is something you have to make good use of.”

A beautiful background for Mary.

Busy painting.

Busy painting.

Brother Marcus painting Joannes Zwijsen.

A sailing ship.

Entrance to the Formation Center Bina Samadi.

Texts on the buildings of Bina Samadi,

by Brother Marcus.

Brother Marcus painting Saint Vincent de Paul.

Happy brothers in Tomohon with the mural of the patron saint of the Congregation.

Saint Vincent de Paul.

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BRAZIL

Colégio Padre Eustáquio.

A BIG CHANGE IN COLÉGIO PADRE EUSTÁQUIO, BRAZIL In the CMM Region Brazil big changes are taking place. For more than a year the Regional Board, the General Board and the school management of Colégio Padre Eustáquio have been looking for a far-reaching cooperation with other schools. They have now found it in the school organization of the Marist Brothers.

The main reasons for this change are that the group of Brothers CMM in Brazil is getting smaller and older and the increasing complexity in the field of private education. In order to prevent the school from falling into the hands of large commercial players or, even worse, from being outcompeted by them, the brothers started looking for a solid organisation to work with.

In this search, the discussions with the Marists went well. It is important to the brothers that they are also close to them in their spirituality.

A preliminary agreement was signed in mid-October 2020 and announced in the school on 20 October

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2020. The cooperation also means a small name change. The school is now called Colégio Marista Padre Eustáquio. Brother Ataide José de Lima, the superior of one of the three Marist Provinces in Brazil (the Province ‘Centro-Norte’ ), sees a good future for the school. In 1960 the Marists received the first Brothers CMM in Brazil and in 2020 the Brothers CMM in their turn received the Marists in their school. To commemorate 60 years of school management by the Brothers CMM, a memorial will be placed in the school.

Photo retrieved from the Facebook page of Colégio Marista Padre Eustáquio.

Memories of Brother Henrique Matos On 20 October 2020, Brother Henrique Matos CMM wrote a word of remembrance in the official communication communiqué of Colégio Padre Eustáquio being integrated into the Marist School network. Below we share some highlights from his words.

At present, I am the only Brother CMM in Brazil who lived through the beginnings of the school we came to know as ‘Colégio Padre Eustáquio’. The pioneers arrived in December 1960, exactly 60 years ago.

With great respect I mention their names: Innocentio Staats, Christino Gemen, Everardus Huiskamp (blood brother of Brother Nicácio Huiskamp, who arrived a few years later), Ignatius van Loyola Beijers, and Leonis Puts. They all have entered into the Father’s House. These were turbulent years in Brazilian politics, with the end of Juscelino Kubitschek’s government and the upheavals at the time of the presidency of the Republic of Jânio Quadros and João Goulart.

Also, in the Church there were great changes, since John XXIII, who was elected Pope in October 1958, had announced in January of the following year, the convocation of an ecumenical council.

We officially opened the ‘Ginásio Padre Eustáquio’ with an admission course, in March 1962. Everything was extremely simple, with practically no teaching materials and even less money. We worked hard, both in renovating the old residence that used to be Padre Eustáquio’s house, and in cleaning up the small building that served as a school. We ourselves taught all subjects, except gymnastics, because of the religious cassock that was still worn in those years.

What motivated us was the enthusiasm and passion for education, based on the rich congregational tradition.

We lived frugally as resources were extremely limited and school fees were insufficient to maintain the school or support the religious. Years of hard work, hardly any holidays and only a few days off. But it was in those years that the foundations were laid for a larger and better equipped school, which, on its

50th anniversary in 2012, was proud to be a renowned school in Belo Horizonte, the capital of the State of Minas Gerais. All of this was possible because we considered being a teacher and educator as a vocation with a vibrant religious inspiration.

We experienced years of remarkable growth and prosperity, but also periods of severe crisis. And here I want to remember with great gratitude Brother Christino Gemen, who saved the school from imminent bankruptcy and dedicated himself body and soul to this school, the beating heart of the Congregation’s apostolate in Brazil.

Now that the management of ‘our’ College has passed into other hands, I feel pain in my heart. Nevertheless, I know that the school is in good hands and I am convinced that the continuity of our ideals will be guaranteed.

I sincerely hope that the Marist Brothers will receive this great work that we started six decades ago well, and that they will make it grow further into a model school for Catholic education, which in the future will pride itself in being the result of a beautiful union of two religious educational families.

Brother Henrique Matos CMM (Brazil)

From left to right: Brother Theo Adams, Brother Henrique Matos, and Brother Ataide José de Lima, with symbols of both congregations and the memorial cross of the transfer.

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IMAGES OF APOSTOLATE

BROTHERHOOD 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 seventeenth episode of this feature we show that the brothers not only look after the needs of others, but also of their own fellow brothers. They do that by dedicated caregiving of their ill or elderly fellow brothers and by cooking delicious meals.

Our being together in faith in the community is a real human togetherness. […] We want to help others to be themselves; this requires courage. We shall continuously build up our community as a home for each other. This requires that an inspiring and enriching influence goes out from each of us. There should be room for initiative and creativity. We express the love which reigns among us in a special way by concerned care for our sick, aged and less able-bodied fellow-brothers. In this community we should experience that joy deepens the life of the person and that gladness eases our togetherness” (Constitutions I, 84-92).

Reading aloud.

Making music together.

Carrying the burden together.

Giving and receiving.

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Hee.

Celebrating together.

Caring for elderly fellow brothers.

Studying together.

Commemorating fellow brothers.

Sharing friendship.

Giving a helping hand.

Preparing a delicious meal. Selamat makan!

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IMAGES OF APOSTOLATE

Tying each other’s shoelaces.

Doing the dishes together.

Giving comfort.

Chauffeur Brother Rinus Romme, took many fellow brothers from point A to point B. 14

Transferring knowledge.

THE NETHERLANDS

AT LAST A PLACE IN THEIR PROMISED LAND

Wisan, Nada and their son Qaisar: finally, a certificate of permanent residence.

In the previous edition of Brothers CMM, you read about the closure of ‘De Vuurhaard’ in Udenhout and the corresponding termination of the care of refugees. Ending this ministry, which had quite an impact, still had a surprising ending.

For many years ‘De Vuurhaard Prayer’ was recited in the chapel of the brother house. The final words of that prayer are:

Jesus, our compassionate brother, you showed us the way to the least among the people, to the stranger, the asylum seeker, the refugee.

Assist us in accompanying them some distance on the way to their promised land.

How beautiful that this prayer became a reality for the last residents who lived with us.

Qaisar explores the endless possibilities of the supermarket cart.

Brother Ad de Kok (The Netherlands)

The last refugees who found shelter in De Vuurhaard, were Wisan, Nada and their son Qaisar from Iraq. In 2019 they arrived in The Netherlands. After going through several centers for asylum seekers, they came to live at De Vuurhaard. Their stay signified to the brothers and volunteers the beautiful completion of their work in caring for refugees: nice and grateful people who were always willing to help and a lovely child.

After their stay in De Vuurhaard, the family was transferred again to several centers for asylum seekers.

But recently, I received an email from Wisan stating: “We received our permanent residence certificate.”

For them, but also for the brothers, that was fabulous news. About half of the refugees, who lived in De Vuurhaard and who were initially rejected, obtained at long last their permanent residence permit. And now also: Wisan, Nada and Qaisar.

Wisan, having dinner in De Vuurhaard.

On the wall a photo collage of previous residents of De Vuurhaard.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

ONE DOOR SHUT; ANOTHER DOOR OPENED The brothers’ community Elim on the Schiphollaan in Tilburg closed as of 3 December 2020 permanently. The shrinking province does not give a perspective for new occupants from within the Congregation. Nevertheless, something new started!

Since 1988 many brothers, and a few other occupants, have lived on the Schiphollaan in community with each other, and they have worked consistently to make Elim into an oasis for the residents, for the people in the neighborhood and for other passers-by.

However, the closure of the brothers’ community does not imply that the facility will remain closed.

Starting in early 2021, something new developed at the Schiphollaan, namely Living Group Elim. The Living Group Elim is a Christian community of young people, roughly between the ages of 20 and 30.

Praying together and eating together are the two key components of the new community. Brother Paul Damen, the last resident of the former brothers’ community Elim, will stay around for a bit in the house in order to facilitate the process of establishing the

new Living Group Elim and to be part of it himself. As of 1 February 2021, the first four young men arrived to live in Elim. There is room for more!

The Provincial Board of the Brothers CMM in The Netherlands views the new community as an opportunity to provide young people with a chance to get acquainted with religiously based community life and to contribute in this way to their formation.

This agrees well with the mission of our Congregation, expressed in our Rule of Life: “The concern of our Congregation is especially directed towards youth.

Through education and other forms of guidance we want to help them to find their way in the world of tomorrow.” May the new community be fruitful and beneficial for the new young residents

PROFESSION FOR LIFE IN TIMOR LESTE On 28 December 2020, the brothers in Timor Leste celebrated the profession for life of Brother Jose de Deus CMM. The Mass of Thanksgiving started with a welcome ceremony for the family of Brother Jose. His Excellency, the Archbishop of Dili, Virgilo do Carmo da Silva SDB, was greeted at the entrance of the church in Becora-Dili.

Brother Silvino Belo CMM, Regional Superior, had the honor of accepting the profession of Brother Jose. Brother Cancio da Costa Gama CMM was his witness.

In his sermon Archbishop Virgilo do Carmo da Silva expressed his joy about the fact that there are still young people who are called to make a radical decision to enter a religious congregation as a brother - not as a priest.

At times, this choice is misunderstood. Occasionally the question arises when the brother will be ordained to the priesthood. This is the challenge brothers must address. But we should be grateful for this unique vocation according to Archbishop Virgil do Carmo da Silva. We not only need priests who can preside at eucharistic celebrations, but also people who serve the Church and society in other ways.

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In Memoriam

BROTHER

BROTHER

NIKODEMUS TALA LAMAK

Rinus (M.G.) Romme

Nikodemus was born in Puor, Lembata, Indonesia, on 15 September 1963. In 1986 he entered the Congregation of Brothers CMM in Tomohon, Sulawesi.

He died on 25 November 2020 in St. Elisabeth Hospital in Medan, Sumatra. On 26 November 2020, fellow brothers, family members and friends took leave of him during a Eucharistic Celebration and he was laid to rest amid his deceased fellow brothers in the community mausoleum in Balige, North Sumatra.

He was born in Geffen, The Netherlands, on 12 March 1946 and entered the Congregation of the Brothers CMM on 29 August 1963. He passed away on 27 January 2021 at the residential care facility Joannes Zwijsen in Tilburg. On 2 February 2021, fellow brothers, relatives and friends took leave of him during a Eucharistic Celebration. Afterwards he was buried amidst his deceased fellow brothers at the Estate Steenwijk in Vught.

Once Nikodemus had received his certificate in Building Technology, he decided to become a Brother CMM. After his first profession in Pematang Siantar in 1988 he started in the religious shop in Ambon.

There his special talents were recognised. He had a talent in accompanying candidate brothers, so he was assigned postulant-master in Manado in 1992, despite still being a temporary professed brother himself. In 1994 he made his profession for life. In 2002 became a member of the Provincial Board of Indonesia and since 2014 its Deputy Provincial Superior. He himself would have preferred not to be a member of the board, but because of the trust given him by the brothers and his love for the Congregation, he carried out this task with patience and responsibility. Brother Niko, as he was often called, had a friendly word for everyone: brothers, parents, students; those he met in the stores, in markets or in the streets. His humour and kindness made him very close to people. He had a distinct personality. He was like a tritagonist, the third most important actor in a play or film. His role was one of being a mediator, comforter, guide, bringing brightness, relief and peace, giving hope and strength to anyone who needed his help. We believe that God, the Source of Mercy, has welcomed Brother Nikodemus into his eternal abode of heaven.

Rinus attended the teacher training college and taught at primary schools in Eindhoven and Cuijk. In 1971 he committed himself for life to the Congregation of the Brothers CMM. In 1984 the Congregation asked him for secretarial work, supporting the Provincial Board of the brothers in The Netherlands. From within the Congregation he also worked as a volunteer for the Foundation ‘Mensen in Nood’ in ’s-Hertogenbosch and for ‘Katechetisch Centrum Tilburg’. His commitment was greatly appreciated. In 2004 he started working at the secretariat of the General Board. This he continued until shortly before his death. Brother Rinus was known for his helpfulness: he was always ready to do what was asked of him. Many fellow brothers from outside The Netherlands got to know Rinus as the driver who picked them up at Schiphol Airport. As a community member he fulfilled an authentic role suiting his personality.

In De Vuurhaard in Udenhout it struck many people that Rinus had relaxed talks of sincere interest with refugees, who were accommodated there and with the guests who participated in the weekly ‘Eetcafé’.

We miss him, but we are grateful that we have had this helpful fellow brother in our midst for many years. We now entrust him to the good God who welcomes him into his Kingdom.

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In Memoriam

BROTHER

Wim (W.J.G.) Verschuren Wim was born on 20 December 1933 in Udenhout, The Netherlands. He entered the Congregation of the Brothers CMM on 29 August 1950. He passed away on 26 December 2020 at the St. Anna Hospital in Geldrop, The Netherlands. On 2 January 2021 he was buried among his departed fellow brothers at the Estate Steenwijk in Vught, The Netherlands.

During the war years Wim attended an elementary school conducted by brothers, who sowed the seeds for his entrance into the novitiate in August 1950.

Initially, Wim became a teacher as so many others did.

He made his profession for life in 1955.

society. Thus he stood at the cradle of the ‘Beweging van Barmhartigheid’ (the Movement of Mercy) and co-founded the project ‘Zin in Werk’ in Vught. From 2000 onwards he lived there and was a member of the Eleousa community.

In motion

“A brother never retires”

For Brother Wim, like for so many, the eventful seventies became a turbulent time. Many brothers left the Congregation and there were no new vocations.

Many, Wim among them, confronted the questions about the life choice they had made. During his time as student he had intense contact with people in the society around him. After his election in1978 to the office of superior general, his attention for others and the uniqueness of each of them became stronger still.

Wim fulfilled the task of superior general until 1990.

During that period he traveled around the world for working visits in Indonesia, Namibia, Brazil, Curaçao, Surinam, Kenya and Belgium. Together with some fellow brothers he developed a new approach to the brothers’ religious formation in those countries. This resulted in a new generation of young brothers and one of them now holds the office of superior general.

In recent years Wim slowed down a little, but that did not mean that he retired. He presented lectures, wrote about mercy, and enjoyed having conversations with people. In addition to that he took care of the community’s ‘living’ property in Vught: the ducks, geese, swans, and chickens, and he also loved to work in his flower garden. He published his book ‘Barmhartige Liefde’ (‘Merciful Love’) in 2017. For brothers in other parts of the world it was later published English and Indonesian, which made him very happy. Recently he started another project: a book on the theme of ‘serving’. Sadly that book will never be written. We will remember Wim as a ‘servant leader’.

Vocation Wim, together with Brother Harrie van Geene, intuited that the brothers in The Netherlands needed to renew their spirituality. The rediscovery that ‘mercy’ forms the core of the brothers’ call and mission turned out to be of invaluable significance. When in 1990 his time as superior general came to a close, he moved to the Elim community in Tilburg, The Netherlands. It was a small center for spirituality that paid close attention to the needs of young people. Brother Wim wanted to revive the spirituality of mercy in Church and 18

Gratitude Wim was a grateful man. His experiences while developing insights in the spirituality of mercy and brotherhood filled him with gratitude. That gratitude became stronger in his encounters with various cultures and in the projects he developed.

It was further nurtured in the friendships he had.

Besides those blessings his life was life marked by ‘wonderment’. Wim did not live a routine life.

For him life itself was a miracle.

With a listening ear, a sharp sympathetic eye, and a big heart he reached many with words of comfort and encouragement. May God, our loving Father, receive Wim into the embrace of his Mercy.

‘SEE MY PEOPLE’

THE MERCIFUL LOVE OF BROTHER WIM VERSCHUREN Mercy and brotherhood are two key 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’.

Like no other, Brother Wim Verschuren has worked in the past forty years to put the concept of mercy back on the map. In 2018 his book Merciful Love was published. We print here some excerpts from this book.

A different way In the world around us, we sometimes see mercilessness taking on the most horrendous proportions. The media confront us with one power struggle after another. Streams of refugees, emerging terrorism and gross violations of human rights. This all affects us. Seeing all this often makes us feel so helpless and fearful. There are people who cannot stand to watch it any longer. But what can we do?

Looking at it with merciful eyes means to me: not joining the merciless way it is presented, not taking over the way people talk about it, not accepting their judgments, but having the courage to keep using a different language, a language of hope. For example, in addressing the news about refugees or victims.

When does morning break?

We are a long way from looking upon people truly as our brothers and sisters, or as equals, despite our differences. Then we are still in the dark, as one particularly poignant Hasidic Tale explains: ‘How can we determine the hour of dawn, when the night ends and the day begins? ’ ‘When from a distance you can distinguish between a dog and a sheep? ’ ‘No,’ was the answer of the rabbi. ‘It is when one can distinguish between a fig tree and a grapevine? ’ ‘No,’ the rabbi said. ‘Please tell us the answer then,’ said the students.

‘It is then, when you can look into the face of another human being and can recognize in it, the face of your brother or your sister. Only then dawn has really begun.’

All you need is love To me, the most beautiful fruit of many years working in the field of mercy, is to realise that God is Loving Mercy; Merciful Love carrying this world in all its ‘imperfections’. If Merciful Love were not present and working in the world and in the hearts of people, this world would have been inhabitable and inhospitable.

The constant struggle between light and darkness, between love and hatred, remains a big mystery to me. I am part of it myself, like others. But, if there is one thing I learnt that has given direction to my life, it is that love and being merciful will always remain life-giving, even if life itself is difficult and full of contradictions. All you need is merciful love, as Jesus has modelled it to us.

In: Wim Verschuren, Loving Mercy. Seeing being moved - taking action (Tilburg, Brothers CMM, 2018).

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IN THIS COMMUNITY WE SHOULD EXPERIENCE THAT JOY DEEPENS THE LIFE OF THE PERSON AND THAT GLADNESS EASES OUR TOGETHERNESS. (from the Rule of Life of the Brothers CMM)

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