3
2012
MARIST
BROTHERS
WEST-CENTRAL EUROPE
BULLETIN
EDITORS
Br. Jacques Scholte
Br. Victor Vermeersch
Mrs Nellie Beelen
Mrs Daphne van Dongen
Sophiaweg 4
NL 6523 NJ Nijmegen
www.marists.eu
INDEX
Foreword
The gift of being brothers
First profession
How do I discern the will of God for me
75 years Marist presence in the Netherlands
Marist Brothers memorial statue
Ria: 25 years at Westerhelling
In Memoriam: Br. Bede McCabe
In Memoriam: Br. Hilary Costello
2
BULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
3
4
6
8
10
12
13
15
16
an interest to be defended. Fairly
often, conflict is the only outcome. Communication is no longer an option, let alone dialogue. It
is deeply sad when people, defenceless, become the victims of
hardened points of view that may
result in discrimination or war.
In our relations with each other
and, more so, in our communication with each other we often
speak of the ability to receive
what the other person says or
tries to say. The ability to listen is
important as well. We think there
should be a space where meeting
each other is possible.
Indeed. It is important to have
conversations with each other or
to be in contact. It is how we can
familiarise ourselves with each
other’s world.
A not so self-evident element in
communication is the connection.
Yes, we can establish a connection
when our views or beliefs are similar or the same. It becomes
more difficult to connect when
opinions differ and practically impossible when they are opposed to
each other.
However important it is to be
touched by the consequences of
disturbed communication, let us
focus here on our own little environment and consider the effects
of connecting in our communication with the people around us.
And also, how communication
cannot work if a connection cannot be made.
Connecting does not mean that, in
the end, everything must be “the
same”. In that case connecting is
no longer necessary.
Connecting in communication is
to explore our different perceptions, experiences or opinions and
to look for elements with which
we can identify to some extent.
“Impossible”, we may tend to say.
People are different and that’s
how it’s going to be. We may argue that looking for a connection
will only produce an artificial form
of connection.
Let there be different perceptions,
experiences and opinions. But that
should not stop us from being attentive – seeing, hearing, feeling –
that we identify or agree to some
extent with the other person’s
point of view, and expecting to agree completely, which makes a
connection unattainable.
In our communication, looking for
a connection is a fine task. It
means including rather than excluding. A connection helps us to
feel (a little) more familiar with
each other.
The purpose of the articles in this
Bulletin, again, is to foster a connection between those who care
about our Province. The written
word, for us, is a good instrument
FOREWORD
In our global community we see
many sad examples of individuals,
races, peoples being unable to
connect. In negotiations in the
political, social or economic
sphere differences are often
blown up, which makes them unbridgeable. Identity then becomes
BULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
to what is characteristic of the
other person, what matters to
them. We will then find ourselves
identifying with something the
other person says or reveals of
their personality. Something, not
everything. There is a huge difference between letting it suffice
to experience a connection with
each other, even when we read
that we are all so different.
With this in mind I hope you will
enjoy reading this Bulletin.
Br. Jacques Scholte
3
the permanent diaconate. She had
used some research data that I had
collected while working in England, and we met to discuss how
to share our research with a wider
audience. She also asked me if I
had ever thought of becoming a
priest.
I suspect we have all had similar
conversations. At times the question is tinged with certain assumptions that suggest that being a
brother is somehow less than
being a priest. As we know, being
a priest confers more status in
church and society, and many people assume that those who are
able, intelligent or gifted would
naturally want to aspire to priesthood. Both of the people I was
speaking to were respectfully curious, and were interested in my
answer.
THE
GIFT
OF
BE
ING
BROT
HERS
4
Dear Brothers
and Marist Friends,
Over the past few months a number of things have happened to me
that have led me to reflect on our
identity and vocation as brothers.
I want to share some of those
thoughts and experiences with you
in this letter for the Bulletin.
Earlier this year I was having a coffee with a woman who has worked
as a therapist with priests and
brothers, and who currently works
as a lecturer in social work at a
university in Ireland. We were talking about the issue of clergy
sexual abuse of children, and at
one point in the conversation she
asked me if I had ever thought
about becoming a priest. A few
months later, in early July, I spent
a day working with another woman who had done a doctorate on
In between these two conversations, during the month of March,
I was involved in the conference
organised by the General Council
on the Protection of Children.
Three of the presenters involved in
the conference were not Marist
Brothers; Marie Collins, a victim of
sexual abuse by a priest in Ireland,
Fr. Barry O’Sullivan, a priest from
England who has worked in the
area of child protection for many
years, and Professor Joanne Marie
Greer, a psychologist from the
United States who has written on
issues related to child abuse and
sexual violence.
As the conference unfolded Joanne
commented on the way the participants greeted each other as they
arrived. There were lots of hugs,
genuine delight at seeing brothers
who had met each other at the General Chapter, or other meetings,
and lots of laughter and conversation. People were instantly at ease
with each other. Fr. Barry did a
role-play with me where I played
the role of a brother who was accused of abuse. As we acted out
BULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
the scenario it became clear to the
brothers involved that Barry’s way
of responding was much more formal, “legal” and detached than we
would expect from a Brother Provincial meeting an accused brother in a similar situation. As the
conference unfolded, Barry said to
us that he could see a clear difference in how we, as brothers, manage this issue. He said, “You have
something special in the relationship between brothers and the
Provincial. We don’t have that as
secular priests. What you have is
quite precious.” Marie Collins had
spoken at the Colloquium held at
the Gregorian University in February, at which Br. Emili and I were
also present. Without going into
details, Marie could not get over
the difference she experienced in
speaking to and meeting the
brothers at the Conference in the
Generalate.
Listening to these observations
from three people who do not
have a lot of experience of Marist
Brothers, but who have many
years of experience of leadership
in the Church, caused me to reflect on the wonderful gift of
brotherhood that we have. I am
also struck by the assumptions we
make, and that I experience on a
regular basis, about the relationship between the brothers and the
person who is asked to take on the
role of Provincial. With the older
generation of brothers in particular, I often feel quite humble at
the attitude of respect and gratitude that I experience. I am aware
that this is not something I have
done to earn personally, but is an
inheritance I receive from the
brothers who have exercised their
leadership in a distinctively Marist
and “brotherly” way in the past.
It can be very easy to be critical of
the brothers with whom we live.
As Br. Joe McKee pointed out,
now that most of the brothers in
the Province are retired, we spend
BULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
much more time in each other’s
company than we did when most
of our day was spent in our
classrooms or offices, and evenings and weekends were spent
with corrections, preparations or
activities. My parents are both the
same age, and they retired within
a few months of each other in
1995. I remember my mother saying to me, “This is a big change for
your dad and me. It is not easy adjusting suddenly to spending so
much time together.” Fortunately
my dad then got another job and
my mum got involved in lots of
parish activities! Her observation,
though, was an important one.
Suddenly finding ourselves with
more time together is a challenge,
and it can be easy to focus on the
things that irritate us rather than
the gifts we bring to community.
It is in this context that I want to
highlight the wonderful tradition
of brotherhood that we share, and
that we sometimes take for granted. As happened at the Conference that was held in Rome, it often takes someone outside of our
Marist world to notice how
unique our brotherhood is, and to
point it out to us.
Some time ago I was told that the
Prior General of the Hospitallers
of St. John of God had written to
Pope Benedict to say that he was
in danger of presiding over the demise of the vocation of the religious brother in the Church. As a
result of that letter the Pope asked
for a document on the vocation of
the religious brother to be prepared by the Congregation for Religious. I was told that the first
draft was rather poor, but that
two De La Salle brothers have
worked on the draft and that it is
much improved.
over 20 years ago, this time with
the Mother General of a Congregation of Sisters. During dinner
the Mother General turned to me
and said, “Of course the problem
for brothers is that, unlike the
priests, you don’t have a sense of
your own identity.” I was a bit taken aback by the assumption that
I would agree with such a proposition. I can assure you that my response was polite, but I was told
later that the Mother General was
not pleased. (The sudden change
in her facial expression told me
that too.) I replied that, on the
contrary, I think that brothers
have a clear sense of their identity. What we lack is a highly developed theology that articulates that
identity.
I believe that our life and vocation
as brothers is quite precious. I believe it is a refreshing and prophetic gift for the Church and for
society, and I also believe that we
are prone to underestimate and
undervalue what we have. Some
people do not understand our vocation, and others, especially
those who get close enough to us
to feel confident enough to ask,
are curious about the choice we
have made. I look forward to the
new Vatican document, whenever
it gets published, and encourage
you to read it. Hopefully it will
open our own eyes to the gift that
we have, and also enlighten others
about the precious gift we share.
Br. Brendan Geary
I began this letter by sharing two
stories of recent conversations. I
want to finish with a story of a
conversation I was involved in
5
formation in these last three years.
Welcome, all.
Let me paraphrase a question
from our first reading: “What are
we doing here?” Personally, I feel
honoured to be invited to explore
this with you in these next few minutes. Primarily we are here to celebrate and support.
Br. Philip McGee made his first
vows as a Marist Brother on 30th
June in St Simon’s parish church,
Glasgow. Below is the homily delivered by Br. Stephen Smyth.
The kingdom of Heaven is like a
treasure hidden in a field which
someone has found; he hides it
again, goes off in his joy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.
Again, the kingdom of Heaven is
like a merchant looking for fine
pearls; when he finds one of great
price he goes and sells everything
he has and buys it. (Mt 13: 44-46)
FIRST
PROFESSION
First let me welcome you all here
to celebrate Philip’s First Profession as a Marist Brother. We welcome especially Philip’s Mum and
Dad, Margaret and Pat; and his
sister Noreen and her family; and
we remember Philip’s brother Paul
and his family in Australia who are
with us in spirit.
Philip believes that he has found
the “treasure in the field”, the
“pearl of great price” here with the
community of Marist Brothers. He
has decided to “sell everything he
has” and devote his life to owning
this great gift – for the sake of the
Kingdom of God and the good of
all people.
I also welcome all of Philip’s
friends who have come along today. They represent and celebrate
various stages in Philip’s life from
Stevenston through University and
up to today. We welcome the Marist Brothers who gather here today from Britain, Ireland, Belgium,
Holland and the United States.
We are particularly grateful to the
brothers in Marist House, and the
brothers in Dublin and in the novitiate communities in America
and Colombia who have played an
important part in Philip’s life and
And we, Philip’s family, friends
and brothers, are here to celebrate
his decision and to continue, as
we have done over the years, to
support him with our love and
prayers as he embarks upon this
next stage of his life’s journey, into
vowed religious life as a Marist
Brother.
6
Recently, in preparation for today,
I spoke with Philip’s Mum and
Dad. I asked about Philip and his
interest in religion. Margaret told
me that as a wee boy he always
had a collection of religious objects on his bedside table and did
talk about becoming a priest. She
wasn’t very keen on this when he
was wee. But, she told me, the
confirmation cross that he received from his grannie still sits by his
bed at home. It was a sign!
She also shared that, as a boy, he
was quite quiet and always reading, always studying, and that the
interest in world religions came
later. It was at university that
Philip’s interest in world religions
and the idea of religious life came
together. It was at university that
Philip met Sr Isabel Smyth, who is
here today, who encouraged and
accompanied him in his studies
and his discernment. It was Isabel
who, five years ago, introduced
Philip to me and his journey with
the Marist Brothers began. Philip
and I have had many an interesting conversation over these five
years. But, I don’t seem to have
put him off the basic idea.
It is a brave decision to join a religious community today: a brave
decision on the part of the applicant and on the part of the community. We are all familiar with
the pressures on religion and on
religious belief and practice in our
secular and materialist society. In
our church, we are all familiar
with the questions and doubts,
the scandals and frustrations, that
beset us. In religious life there is a
sense of ageing and diminishment,
of uncertainty and change in traditional apostolates and life-styles.
This does not look like an auspicious time to enter a religious order. This is a brave decision. However, difficult as the situation appears to be, religious life and the
church have been through major
changes before – and will be
again.
I recognise that there are many
problems and issues affecting the
BULLETIN - No 3- 2012
church especially here in Britain
and Europe. However, I suspect
that, amid them all, here is where
we will begin to discern the future
patterns and expressions of religious life. Here is where our future
will be worked out. Here is our
treasure, here is our pearl.
And Philip, committing himself
today as a Marist Brother, is part
of our valued tradition and part of
our hopeful future. No pressure
there then, Philip! Remember and
be assured that we, your family,
friends and brothers, are here to
celebrate your decision and to
continue, as we have done over
the years, to accompany you, to
challenge you and to support you
with our love and prayers.
others, discerning the will of God
and responding for the good
of others. And, like Mary, always
pointing to Jesus.
“Being Brother”, or as we often
say, “brothering”, is about relating
closely with other people, in a relationship of respect and equality,
of brotherhood, of accompanying
people on their life’s journey, helping them to discern the will of
God and to respond for the good
of the Kingdom and for the good
of other people. And, like Mary,
the brother is always pointing to
Jesus.
There is something important in
our vocation about community
and how we express that both traditionally and creatively.
So, what does it mean to be a Marist Brother today, what is it in the
Marist Brothers that Philip has recognised as “the treasure”, “the
pearl”? Here in Britain in the last
twenty years, as our traditional
school-based apostolate has diminished, we have found ourselves
looking at two particular aspects
of our calling, of our community
identity. These are: “being Marist”
and “being Brother”.
There is something important in
our vocation about corporate
identity and the work of education. While in Britain we now
have little direct involvement in
schools, the brothers are engaged
with many individuals and groups
in personal, religious and ethical
formation, and in ecumenical and
inter-faith work, which is a particular interest of Philip.
“Being Marist” calls us to be like
Mary, after whom we are named.
Mary, Our Good Mother. Like her
we seek to offer our attentive presence to God and to people. We
seek to be there quietly alongside
This is a time of challenge and
change, tradition and creativity,
diminishment and opportunity.
This is a time that requires deep
faith, high hope and generous
love. This is an “interesting” time
BULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
to be a Marist Brother. This is a
great time to be a Marist Brother.
So, what does Philip bring into
this brave and creative space?
Well, all of his life experience, all
of his studies, all of his significant
interest in inter-faith engagement.
Philip has a huge respect for other
faiths and is open to learning from
them, seeing the good in them,
seeing God in them. This, we
hope, will be a great gift to our
Marist community and from our
Marist community. The road
ahead is not yet clear. But, it
should be “interesting”.
So, as I asked at the beginning,
what are we doing here? We are
celebrating and supporting Philip
as he commits everything he has
to own the treasure, to gain the
pearl. We are challenging and loving Philip, as we have done over
the years, as he commits himself
to “being Marist”, that quiet attentive presence; as he commits himself to “being Brother” for the sake
of the Kingdom and the good of
other people. Always, like Mary,
pointing to Jesus.
Here, before God, as Philip’s family, friends and brothers, we hold
Philip in our hearts and prayers
for the year, and years, ahead.
It is good for us to be here.
Br. Stephen Smyth
7
cerned with the will of God then I
have distanced myself too far from
life; then I am no longer me; then
I am no longer connected with my
core. But when I genuinely seek
the will of God then I allow nothing to get between me and life.
The question, “What is life giving?” becomes the guiding principle of all my activity. And I mean
When I was 17 years of age I lived
for a year as part of an exchange
programme with a Swedish family,
the Färnqvists. This family attended the Pentecostal Church every
Sunday. I went with them. Being
new to unfamiliar surroundings I
was open to new experiences and
discoveries. Initially, I accompanied them to Church every week
but later as I came to understand
the Swedish language better and
the early appeal began to wear off
I rarely went with them. I had discovered that the Pentecostal Movement was not for me.
On my return to Holland I kept
contact with my Swedish host family. I wrote to them now and
again about how I was doing. And
so a few years later I wrote and
told them I had met my first true
love and was very fortunate with
this young woman. With a woman.
I had a lady friend. I was aware of
the possibility that my host parents would not share my enthusiasm. I received a letter in return:
they would pray for me and they
wrote: we hope you will examine
the question of what God wills for
you in life. I was angry and resentful. Obviously the Färnqvists knew
what God wanted for me in life
and it wasn’t what was pre-occupying me now – a lesbian love.
That it was precisely in this love
that I discovered much of God
they clearly found impossible.
At that time I was angry and resentful. But now I regard this sentence from the letter as one of the
most beautiful things that anyone
could wish for me, namely, we
wish that you will examine the
question of what God wills for you
in life. It is not just a wish, but a
task to discern what God wills for
my life. But what does that mean
in reality? And how do I find out
what God wills for my life? How
do I discern the will of God for
me?
In these past years I have learned
to understand what it means to
discern the will of God for my life.
This has come about above all because this abstract idea of God has
become much more substantial
for me. In conversations with
others I have heard many synonyms: God is love; God is life; God
is truth; God is our intuition towards the good; God is our deepest, purest core; God is I Am Who
Am [Ex. 3:14]. When I am not con-
a genuine, bright life – life that
flows and grows, life that produces
life, life that breathes space and
freedom.
How do I find out the will of God
for my life? Above all, how can I
hear God? I am convinced that
openness is the key to that. In order to be able to hear God it is a
matter of my innermost being but
also of what lies outside: of my innermost being because it is there
that my intuition abides and
where I am connected to my true
self and of what lies outside because the things that happen to
me hold a message for me. Br.
Jacques Scholte once said, “Everything that happens to us deserves
our attention.” Every experience is
an opportunity for learning. A
friend of mine once told me of an
acquaintance of hers who had just
endured a merciless year; one tragic occurrence after another. In
the end she asked herself, “What
is life trying to say to me?” I found
that impressive. She could be angry, aggressive, despairing, sad, her
head hanging, and perhaps she
had experienced all that, but at
the same time she did not close
herself to the meaning of the
events. She was open to any response to the question, “What is
life saying to me?” That is a courageous question for it demands
that we consider in all openness
HOW DO I DISCERN
THE WILL OF GOD FOR ME
8
BULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
the painful and uncomfortable
things in life. It is also a humbling
question: I have respect for life,
for all that is. Whatever it throws
at me it does so to teach me
something. Relying on this creates
openness – indeed without openness we will never discover what
life is saying to us now and will
never know what help it will be in
future.
That sounds all very well but how
do I become open? When I feel secure, I can be open. But in turbulent moments when I sense fear
around every corner the courage
to be open fails me. In reality it is
seldom that I hear what God or
life has to say to me. The reason
for that is that I often don’t accept
things as they are. Things happen
to me that I don’t want. I cling to
an image of how I would like
things to be and close myself to
anything which does not reflect
the image. No, not that! I stand in
constant opposition and am not
open to what life throws in my
way. I cannot accept it.
And I know that not accepting the
reality does not alter the way
things unfold and brings no understanding of the reality. Nevertheless I have the tendency to pass
judgment on those things that
happen to me. Yesterday I received a letter from a friend who coincidentally was writing about these
things: “I understand this tendency to categorise the events of my
life as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but it is my
mind which does this and the ambivalence does not reflect the reality. Do I want to see reality as it is
or do I project my needs on to it? I
want this; I do not want that…
And it is not about every moment
having to be wonderful or fantastic but rather that I have the courage to allow what is to be without
yielding to the temptation to
make judgments about it as if this
very moment, this experience, this
event is better than any other.”
BULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
In the Spring of this year I travelled to Spain to accompany this
friend for a week on her pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. In
Spanish this pilgrimage is called
the Camino, The Way. In one of
the first places where I stayed
overnight there was a poster
hanging there with the caption,
“You don’t complete the Camino;
the Camino completes you.” I
can’t translate it any better but
the meaning is clear: it is not we
who determine the course of our
lives: life determines the course
we take; that is, when we have the
courage to surrender to it. But often I want desperately to have
everything in my immediate control. This urge to control hampers
life. I don’t receive what is there
to receive.
about the events in my life, free of
opposition to those things which I
don’t want. For me freedom is the
consciousness of the choice which
I always have. To which thing will
I now give my undivided attention? On the wall of one of the
houses on the Camino in a village
in the North of Spain a French
saying was written, “Pilgrim, love
is in every one of your steps.” In
every step I take I can choose this
love and make further steps and
foster the freedom which leads me
to authentic living and truth. Or I
can choose to baulk at it and close
myself off from reality. The next
question is, What fosters freedom? I believe the answer is to be
found in the very name of God, “I
Am Who Am”. Whoever that may
be.
Somebody once said that to love is
to experience what is there and to
commit ourselves to it. When we
don’t do that we give neither love
nor life a chance. God is not on
the playing field. We can only
then experience what is there
when we are alert to those things
which come our way – when we
discern them and assimilate them.
But openness is not an end in itself. Openness also demands attentiveness. I need not accept
everything that is there to be received without further consideration. Openness demands from me
that I am always making a choice.
A practical example: Do I read the
e-mail which has just come in immediately or not, although I am
engaged in some other matter?
But also on an inner level: Do I
follow this negative thought and
let it develop or do I give the
positive thoughts which are there
space and attention?
I have not arrived now at answering the last question, the one with
which I began: How can I discern
the will of God for me? In all honesty I must admit that it is a
question I cannot yet answer. The
How? question is always the most
difficult. But I guess that it has
something to do with trust. And
also with freedom to be myself
and with the space to do those
things in life I was deep down called to do. To discern what God’s
will is for me has in my view everything to do with finding my destiny. Always a step at a time.
Back to the question, what is the
will of God? When God wants
something it is then that I am free
– free from images and perceptions of what things or people
ought to be, free from judgments
When I lived in Sweden there was
a caption on the wall of my bedroom which I would like to end
with: Jag vet inte vart jag är pa väg
men jag star pa mina egna ben –
“I don’t know where I am on the
road, but I stand on my own two
feet.”
Reflection gviven during the meeting for the feast of St. Marcellin by
a participant in the "House of Attentiveness" project of the brothers in the Netherlands.
9
Almelo, the “District of Holland”
was founded. How did this foundation come about? What were
the motives and how did they unfold? This is what we shall try to
show here in this short overview.
The beginnings are closely bound
up with the history of the German
Province. When, as a result of the
Nazi rule in 1936 a whole number
of schools and boarding establishments were forcefully closed
down, the superiors sought to find
working opportunities in other
countries, Holland among them,
great problem. The nine German
brothers of the first community
sought work and earning possibilities. There was still the “medicinal” Arquebuse and Biphosphate
which had been brought from
Recklinghausen. With the help of
Herr Lefering, the owner of a
pharmacy, a way was found to set
up the distillery in production
while his wife taught the brothers
Dutch. With the sale of the Arquebuse which, as Br. Laurian
wrote to Rome, “was greatly appreciated by the local people” and
the production of various teas and
75 YEARS
MARIST
PRESENCE
IN THE
NETHERLANDS
Short Overview of the History
of the Foundation
“Today we have taken possession
of the Castello house in Almelo
and set it up as a small religious
community. Be assured of our sincere gratitude for such a loving
and willing acceptance into hospitable Holland. […] In the spirit of
our Founder we would like to consider ourselves as the helpers of
the Priests and strive to work with
them to further the spread of the
Kingdom of God through word
and deed.” This is what we read in
a letter dated 1st May 1937 from Br.
Laurian Tilly, the Director of the
first Community in Holland, to
the Archbishop of Utrecht.
On that day on which they officially moved into the house at
10
for those brothers who were now
free. The point of contact was “a
relative of one of the brothers who
had a property in Almelo for disposal.” In a letter to the Archbishop of Utrecht on the 26th January
1937, Br. Leo Dorvaux, Visitator of
Germany, reported this. Finally,
on October 2nd 1937, Br. DiogPne,
Superior General, announced in a
letter the recognition of the new
foundation by the General Council.
So it was that “Villa Castello” in
Almelo became the “birthplace” of
the Dutch brothers. But without
the willing assistance of many helpers this would not have been
possible. It was indeed a real adventure. Adapting to the new circumstances, particularly establishing a sound financial basis was a
phosphates as well as private tuition, the brothers painstakingly
sought to keep their heads above
water financially.
But now the brothers had to look
for another strong base and workplace to be able to carry out their
Marist vocation – above all to get
a foot in the area of education and
find an appropriate project. The
Bishop of Utrecht in a letter on 8th
February 1937 in which he gave his
approval of the Almelo foundation, gave little encouragement,
“But you must understand that
the brothers will hardly earn anything from the education of youth
since there is already a post primary establishment in Almelo and
a Lyceum in Oldenzaal.”
Then there was the idea to estabBULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
lish a Juniorate in Almelo. The financial basis of this was to be a
shared project with the Province of
South Africa. But this soon fell
through. The search for premises
for another establishment and
achieving the necessary approval
was a grueling procedure. One of
the aborted projects was Raalte
where we sought to found an establishment with the help of the Redemptorists. But because of the
negative attitude of the Bishop
who wanted to have the Sacred
Heart Brothers there, we were not
successful. Then an offer in Limburg in a Convent owned by the
Dominican Sisters was unsuccessful due to lack of approval from
the Motherhouse. Finally a new
project in Zenderen (Azelo) became a serious proposition. On
25th June 1938 it was discussed at
the Provincial Council in Almelo
and they came to a positive outcome. In the official minutes of the
Council details of the financing of
a Boarding School were recorded.
Then further advantages of this
project were put forward: The
proximity of the Redemptorist
Retreat House; the proximity of
the railway station (only 3 Km)
“where all the trains stop”; and the
presence of land suitable for cultivation were all seen as advantages.
Also the advantageous situation
for schooling was noted: “Zenderen lies in the middle of population centres, Almelo, Hengelo,
Borne and Delden from where
Catholic pupils can come to us.” If
nothing else it should also be
pointed out that the owner is an
amenable person: “The owner, a
bachelor of 72 years of age and a
good Catholic is prepared to do
other things for this project.”
There is a further observation regarding advantages, curiously
enough, which should not be overlooked. It is of interest from a historical and cultural perspective:
“In Holland everyone, beginning
with small children, ride bicycles.
So a distance of a few kilometres
in this flat land with good streets
is no hindrance to going there.”
tion in a letter. The piece of land
which had been acquired lay on
the border of Zenderen and Azelo.
It belonged in fact to Azelo which
the buyers were not too clear
about. In the correspondence with
the Bishop they had always mistakenly spoken of Zenderen. Br.
Laurian most humbly begged pardon for this mistake and named
the reasons for the relocation from
Almelo, “to Zenderen or rather
Azelo.” Above all the cost of the
lease had become prohibitive and
the tenancy contract ran out in
1940. He also highlighted the good
relations with Father Franke.
Finally, in 1939 we come to the
founding in Azelo where a piece of
land of about 10 hectares was acquired. But here also there were
unexpected difficulties. Due to administrative factors resulting in
the negotiations about the new
piece of land at Azelo being initially unclear, things came to a head
with a strong reaction from the diocese of Utrecht. A letter from the
Bishop reads, “Your letter of 1st July
1940 has surprised us. We read
there that you have transferred
from Almelo to Azelo. Do you not
know that you should have first
sought my permission? […] Obviously we are now forced to submit
to this fait accompli.” Also, they
were rebuked for an agreement
they had made with the parish
priests. The deeply shocked Superior was able to clarify the situa-
To end this short foundation history it remains only to narrate that
the war seriously impacted on the
new community as brothers were
conscripted into the army and
people had to pull through in the
midst of great austerity. But now
the first two young Dutch brothers
arrived in the community at Azelo;
in 1944 two others followed from
Flanders one of whom became the
director of the Boarding School.
After the war there were two German brothers still remaining but
they soon returned home. The new
arrangement which followed as
the “District of Holland” and the
story of the Dutch brothers is material for a further article. Here we
deal only with the foundation and
the consolidation of the first few
years. But against the background
of the new Province of West-Central Europe it must be stressed
that we, the brothers from Holland and the brothers from Germany own a particular part of our
history as a shared inheritance and
we ought to foster this. We belong
together.
Br. Augustin Hendlmeier,
Patrimony Commission
CASTELLO HOUSE - ALMELO
BULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
(A previous article in the Bulletin
highlighted the close relationship
between the communities of Recklinghausen and Nijmegen.)
11
MARIST
BROTHER
MEMORIAL
STATUE
On 28th May a statue was unveiled
in Athlone, Ireland, to commemorate the contribution made by the
Marist Brothers to education, culture and sport over the past 125
years. The brothers opened a secondary school for boys in Athlone on 1st September 1884. The
National School (primary school)
was opened three years later.
Another significant development
took place in 1940, partly due to
the outbreak of World War II,
when a novitiate and juniorate
were established at Our Lady’s
Hermitage, for the Province of
Great Britain and Ireland.
The statue was erected in St.
Mary’s square in Athlone, in front
of the parish church, adjacent to
the brothers’ community house,
and beside the former primary
and secondary school buildings.
The inscription at the base of the
statue reads:
This monument was erected to acknowledge the pivotal role played
by the Marist Brothers in fostering
education, culture and sport in
Athlone and surrounding areas
over a 125 year period.
The Past Presidents of the Marist
College Former Students’ Association and the Town Council financed the statue. Mr Mark Rode, originally from Brisbane in Australia,
but now resident in Mayo, Ireland, is the sculptor of the work.
When asked who he used as mo12
dels for the faces he said, “It is
very difficult to create realistic faces without having an actual face
in mind. To be honest, the face I
used for the brother is a neighbour who is a builder. The faces of
the boys are based on my two nephews.” Given the history of the
brothers in Athlone, who founded
schools, erected buildings, and
who worked to improve the physical environment of Marist properties, having a builder as a model
for the figure is quite appropriate.
The sculpture consists of a Marist
Brother, who points the students
to a wider horizon. His arm is also
in alignment with the spire of St.
Mary’s, the parish church, reminding those who look at the statue of
the deeper Christian values that
inspired the brothers and that are
part of their calling “To form good
Christians,” as well as “worthy citizens.” The younger boy in the statue, who holds a football, symbolises the primary school and sport,
while the older boy, who is carrying his books, symbolises the secondary school and education.
The younger boy looks up to the
brother as a model, guide and protector, while the older boy looks
in a different direction, as he takes
what he has learned and imagines
his own future. This reminds us of
the former student who said to Br.
Seán Sammon that the brothers
gave him “a window on the
world.” The brother points down a
street towards the river Shannon,
and the wider world beyond: an
appropriate gesture for an educator.
Fr. Liam Murray, the Parish Priest,
and Fr. Jim Hyland, an Oblate
Father and former student of Marist College, blessed the statue. In
his introductory prayer Fr. Murray
said: “By this celebration we proclaim our belief that all things
work together for the good of
those who fear and love God. We
are sure that in all things we must
seek the help of God, so that in
complete reliance on his will we
may in Christ do everything for
his glory.”
Later there was a Civic reception
where Mr Leo Nolan, President of
the Former Students’ Association,
spoke about the initiative that led
to the erection of the statue. Mr
Alan Shaw, the Mayor of Athlone
and a former student of the brothers, spoke about the contribution
of the brothers to the town over
the past 125 years. Br. Brendan
Geary, Provincial of the Province
of West-Central Europe, responded on behalf of the brothers. He
said that the statue was an outstanding tribute to the work of the
brothers:
“This statue honours the brothers
and their lay associates who worked in the St. Mary’s Primary and
Marist College Secondary School
in Athlone. The brothers established the schools at a time when
education was not widely available
in Athlone and the surrounding
area. Students travelled 20 – 30
miles to reach the school in the
early days. The inscription at the
base of the statue describes the
brothers’ role as ‘pivotal,’ which is
high praise indeed. It suggests
that the education and opportunities available to generations of
young people became possible
because of the presence of the
brothers.” Br. Brendan went on to
speak about some distinguished
BULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
former students, like Archbishop
Curley of Baltimore in the United
States, and his great friend, the
singer Count John McCormack.
There have been well-known politicians, like Brian Lenihen, Dr.
Noel Browne, T.P. O’Connor and
Frank McGuire. There have also
been academics and people involved in the arts like the singer, Louis
Browne, and many outstanding
sportsmen. He also reminded
those present of the people whose
names are not mentioned, who
went on to third level education or
to work in various trades and positions in the local area, whose lives
benefited from the work of the
brothers.
who were former head teachers:
Bros Colman Parker (1961 – 68),
Gerard Cahill (1969 – 99) and John
Hyland (1999 – 2003). Many brothers from Ireland, along with the
Provincial Council were also present for the occasion.
Athlone is important in the history
of the Province as all of the Irish
brothers were former students of
the school and many brothers in
Ireland, Scotland and England
made their novitiate in Our Lady’s
Hermitage. Fr. Liam concluded
the prayer of dedication with the
following prayer:
“Lord our God,
Send your Spirit upon the Marist
Brothers
And upon those who have inherited their Spirit.
Bless these statues, reminders to
us of the dedication and service
the Marist Brothers have given to
our town and community.”
Br. Brendan concluded his remarks by mentioning the presence
of the current head teacher, Mr
Tom Blaine, the first lay man to
hold the post, and three brothers
Br. Brendan Geary
of the Sacred Family in Nijmegen
for more than eleven years.
The 1st October 1987 was her first
day at Westerhelling. She was 31
years old. Previously she had
worked for the Franciscan Sisters
How did you experience the
transition from the sisters to
the brothers?
“Things were so different here.
There, we had coffee separately
from the sisters, and here we all
sit together round the kitchen table. I found that very strange at
first. I thought: Surely they don’t
expect me to sit there with them!
I’m staff, I don’t belong there. But
they make no distinction here.
You’re part of everything. I really
liked that. My own sisters always
enjoy coming here as well. There’s
the delicious meals for festive occasions but mostly, they say, it’s
that everyone is treated equally.
They’re not above you. Sure,
they’re your boss but they’re not
above you. And they’re very wel-
“I enjoy being around people
and I empathise when times are rough for them…”
Ria, 25 years at Westerhelling
BULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
13
coming towards us, your sisters,
as well.”
25 years is a long time. What
has made you remain here for
so long?
Laughing: “What has made me
hang on, you mean?! Well, I’ve
wondered that myself!” But she
immediately goes on to say, “The
brothers are good, so are my colleagues, we get along well. I enjoy
our time together. I find it important to know how everybody’s
doing. When Carlos is on holiday,
as he was recently, I miss him.
And I joke with Victor. He says I
have to cook so well that he can
be certain that he will live to see
his 70th anniversary as a brother!
I also like having all those foreigners here. I get along with all of
them. I don’t know much English
and they don’t know much Dutch
but they understand me perfectly!” Her eyes beam. “Ain’t that
fun. And with Joe and Brendan. I
love how they understand me and
I them. We joke a lot too.” She
laughs. “Like when Brendan has
been away for a long time and I
say, ‘Who are you?’, and he shakes my hand and says, ‘I’m Brendan.’” Then, more softly, she says:
“But he also came to tell me about
his mother’s illness…” It is clear
that this was a valuable moment
to Ria. She continues: “Yes, when
something’s the matter it’s really
important to me that they know
they can come to me and that I
can go to them too…” When I ask
Ria what is the most important
thing in her life she says without a
moment’s hesitation: “family”. Of
course, she means her own family
first but there’s apparently also a
sense of being family at Westerhelling.
What do you particularly like
about your work?
Promptly she answers: “The cooking, of course! Here is where I
first got to try new things. Experi-
14
ment.” It is plain to see that Ria
enjoys having the space to develop
her cooking skills. She says: “I also
like cooking for groups, and it
makes me happy to see people
eating with relish. Sometimes they
come to me for the recipe and I
think, goodness, they must really
have liked it. Wonderful. Like my
thick pea soup. It’s become rather
famous!”
Ria also remembers a funny encounter – during a cold buffet she
had prepared – with one of the
young adults who participate in
the programmes offered at Westerhelling. Smiling, she says: “One
of them enjoyed it so much – she
lives down the hill – she suggested
that we install a ropeway between
our kitchen and her room… She
had me laughing alright!”
What has impressed you most
profoundly here?
Ria is quiet for some time, thinking. Then she says, “The freedom.
I had not experienced that before.
You get to make your own choices
about what you’re going to cook. I
do consult with Jacques. He often
says: You choose something. He
trusts me in that. I really appreciate that. We often sit down together to consult. I also want to be
told what needs to be done. Of
course, it’s a matter of give and
take. But it works quite well here,
on both sides.”
“Attentive Presence” are important words in the brothers’ life
and work.
“Yes,” she says with a broad grin,
“so I’ve read…”
What do these words mean to
you?
She thinks for a moment and then
says, “Well, it wouldn’t be nice to
be ignored. Greeting each other in
the morning and saying goodbye
at the end of the day… I think
that’s part of it. You do work together.”
“Being attentive to each other”,
that is what Ria finds important.
The fact that you have worked
for religious congregations all
your life makes me curious
about your beliefs. Can you say
anything about that, what you
believe in?
“O dear… That’s a big one…”, Ria
says, thinking quietly. “That
there’s something out there I believe. I also think life isn’t fair
sometimes… Some people never
experience any difficulties, and we
have gone through so much… And
then I think, if there’s anything
out there, why does this have to
happen to us? With our mum and
dad, who died at such a young
age, but also with Annie and Ria,
and Henk and Jules and Roger…
Yes, death is hard.”
Later, she continues, “But, despite
everything, life is good. I so enjoy
being with people and I empathise
when times are rough for them.”
What about the future, Ria?
Her face breaks into a smile again,
and with a mixture of mostly humour and a little bit of seriousness
she says: “I hope I can stay here
until death us do part…”
Ria very much enjoys the hours
she spends at home in the afternoons and evenings – relaxing, talking to her family, embroidering,
sewing, doing the shopping… But,
in addition to that, her work here
might – so to speak – just as well
continue for some time after she
turns 65.
We hope, Ria, that we may enjoy
your presence for many more
years to come. We are very happy
to have you here.
Interviewer: Clara van de Ven
Clara is a colleague of Ria’s and an
accompanier in the “Inner Journey”
project of the brothers in the Netherlands.
BULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
IN MEMORIAM
Brother Bede McCabe
19th June 1927
18th June 2012
At some time in the 1970’s a postcard appeared in the sorting office
in Dundee addressed simply to:
St. Bede,
Dundee.
The card was successfully passed
on to Br. Bede. This rather amusing story communicates two important things about Bede; by the
1970’s he was already an institution in Dundee, and he was recognised as a holy man. He would be
embarrassed if I tried to suggest
he was a saint. All who knew him,
however, would agree that the
pursuit of holiness was one of the
hallmarks of his life.
Br. Bede was born in Jarrow on
19th June 1927, to a large Catholic
family. He entered the juniorate of
the Marist Brothers in Dumfries in
1939. Jerome Gilligan, his great
friend, went too, and so they continued a friendship that had already begun in primary school.
Bede continued to the novitiate in
Athlone from 1943 – 45. He returned to Dumfries in 1945 and
obtained an external Honours degree from University of London.
After a year of Teacher Training in
Dundee, 1951 – 52, he taught at the
Holy Rosary School, Birmingham.
Bede was in his late twenties and
thirties. I can only imagine the
energy, creativity, and passion
that he brought to his work in
those years. I remember Bede telling me about the large classes he
BULLETIN - No 3 - 2012
taught. He loved teaching, and
finding ways to share knowledge
with young people. He made a
strong impression on staff, parents and students, many of
whom he kept in touch with over
the years.
Bede became head teacher of St.
John’s in Dundee in 1966. He was
fond of his staff and created a family atmosphere in the school.
Former members of staff and former students have commented on
his complete dedication to the
school. Words which were used
often about Bede were “enthusiasm,” “honesty,” “commitment,”
“conviction.” Many people have
commented on his commitment
to lower ability pupils, and those
from difficult backgrounds. He
was deeply compassionate. One
person said he was brilliant at
dealing with the “tougher nuts” –
she was, of course, referring to the
pupils.
Bede’s time in Dundee was not
without its difficult moments. In
November 1967, a man entered
the school with a shotgun, and
held hostage Nanette Hanson, a
Home Economics teacher, as well
as a number of girls in her class.
The intruder shot and killed the
teacher and traumatised the girls.
It was Bede who entered the room
to remove the body, and who ultimately talked the man out of the
room. I have been told that he
took a long time to recover from
this tragic event. It was something
he never spoke about.
Bede was a Marist Brother, and he
lived faithfully the values and traditions that he learned in his formation. He had a deep love of
Mary, and a commitment to the
Holy Father and the teachings of
the Church. He always wanted to
spend time as a missionary, and
had his chance when he retired as
head teacher in 1992. A year later
he went to Cameroon in Africa.
Unfortunately he had to return
home after one year due to concerns about his health. Bede moved to Marist House in Glasgow in
1995, and was able to continue his
interest in missions through his
work at the SCIAF (Scottish International Aid Fund) offices in Glasgow. He also became involved in
the Charismatic renewal during
his years in Glasgow. He had a
love of gardening, and was interested in learning languages. He
had a mind that was interested in
all sorts of things: sport, literature, music, the arts, history – and
especially the Catholic Church.
He deteriorated rapidly over the
past six months. The first indications of change appeared around
November, and in April he was diagnosed with a tumour. He responded with great fortitude, and
spent his last two months in Nazareth House, where he formed a
small Marist community with Br.
Gerard Gillespie, his friend of over
70 years.
Bede was an indomitable character, whose personality, faith, energy, and passion will be remembered by all who knew him. More
than anything, he was a faithful
son of Marcellin Champagnat,
whose combination of a “strong
mind and a gentle heart,” Bede
manifested in his own, event-filled, and humble life. We say farewell to an outstanding teacher, a
good friend, a faithful brother.
May he rest in peace.
Extract from the eulogy delivered
by Br. Brendan Geary
15
IN MEMORIAM
Br. Hilary Costello
11th December 1929
17th June 2012
One of Br. Hilary’s intuitions was
a sense of what was right and appropriate for an occasion. He liked things to be done properly and
so, reluctantly, he might allow
this short tribute.
Br. Hilary’s fidelity to Marist life
was nurtured in no small measure
by his love of and devotion to the
Eucharist, and in the many churches throughout Dublin he nourished himself daily at the Lord’s
Table. As a true Marist, his devotion to Mary manifested itself in
his recitation of the Rosary as well
as in a life modestly lived, always
like Mary attributing the graces in
his life to others and encouraging
others like Mary at Cana to assume their roles. He often said
that the mission of religion in the
church was to encourage and to
resource people to assume their
rightful role and responsibility in
the church. An example of how
close to his heart Mary has been
was when he was suffering a lot of
pain in hospital and began to haltingly utter the words of the Salve
Regina and Hail Holy Queen. I believe they were the last words Br.
Hilary spoke.
Many were the quality school
plays he produced with his primary school students, and many
were the second-level students
whose imaginations he opened up
to the words of Shakespeare,
Wordsworth, Kavanagh and so
many others. Whether it was in
16
the classroom or in the playing
fields, Br. Hilary always sought to
make learning and sport interesting and attractive for students –
on one occasion creating a new
version of soccer/football abolishing the offside rule – this version
of the game he called “Peile Maoile” (Moyle Park Football) since it
was first played during his years at
Moyle Park, Clondalkin!
Br. Hilary was open to and welcomed new ideas. In fact he was
enlivened by the advent of so many new cultures in our country
and world. He often commented
on his many journeys around Dublin about how wonderful it was to
see so many new realities and
people on the streets of the city.
“They bring new life and possibility”, he would muse, “sure we can’t
stay the way we are.”
But this did not mean that he was
uncritical of so-called progress and
modernity. Br. Hilary always retained a critical cold eye and an
independent mind. He was never
one to glorify the “good old days”.
He would have wondered what he
missed. Br. Hilary had a sceptical,
quizzical attitude towards the current orthodoxy whether it concerned church, politics, social
mores or sport. More than once,
he ran into trouble with some of
the then Gaelgóiri by his humorous send-ups of the more superficial elements of Irish culture, song
and dance then being promoted as
authentic.
leader in Athlone or as Chairman
of the Board of Management at
Marian College both for up to periods of ten years, he brought to
bear values of reconciliation and
fairness with no little insight into
the human and administrative issues with which he had to deal.
Br. Hilary loved his choir. He saw
it as a contribution to the parish
here at Star of the Sea. He faithfully attended practices, Sunday Mass
and other liturgies, and long after
official practice had concluded Br.
Hilary hummed, whistled and
sang the various responses and
hymns throughout the halls of residence of Marian College.
Both his sense of humour and
quick wit are legendary. Those
who knew him can recall and relate numerous stories and anecdotes as they did in the days following his death. This is not the
place or occasion to regale you
much as I would be tempted.
Neither would Br. Hilary consider
it fitting or appropriate.
We thank God that Br. Hilary is
now at peace, free, fondly loved by
so many. We shall miss him but
treasure the memories. May his
kindly, gentle, caring soul be at
peace.
Extract from the eulogy delivered
by Br. John Hyland
And here, we come to the core of
Br. Hilary. He was nothing, if not
authentic, true to himself. A man
of integrity, who held fast to the
best of tradition without being a
traditionalist. In his life as an administrator whether as community
BULLETIN - No 3- 2012