Van 14 tot en met 17 oktober was er een groepje mensen uit Europa te gast op de Westerhelling. Zij zijn verbonden met de fraters Maristen, en kwamen om kennis te maken met onze projecten, en om te ervaren wat Aandachtig Leven vanuit een mariale spiritualiteit voor ons betekent en waaraan we herkenbaar willen zijn in onze begeleiding.

 

Renate uit Duitsland schreef na afloop deze reflectie:

A brief reflection

On Monday the 14.07.2019 seven participants from all over Europe met for 4 days at the Westerhelling house in Nijmegen, Holland:

Jaime Feo from Spain, Brother Albert André from Belgium, Antonis Dasyras from Greece, Paul Cummings, Martin Pearson and Alastair Callaghan from Scotland and Renate Hacker from Germany.

Brother Jacques Scholte and Conny Stuart invited us to introduce the various Marist Projects in Nijmegen.

We have been welcomed with very warm hospitality and got the unique opportunity to receive a practical insight to the amazing work of the employees and project managers of the Marists in the Netherlands. We got an idea about the methods of working and during these days we were accompanied by the same basic principle like all supervised in Nijmegen:

“To guide the supervised to the deepest being of himself, where he is touched by the mystery of all life.” 

We met Clara in “Bibliodrama” and the course “A Year of Spirituality”, Thomas in “An Inner journey” and “House of Stillness”. Annelieke in “House of Stillness”, André and Jan in “Moria Foundation” and Conny and Brother Jacques were always ready to give us competent insights into the way of working and to the origin of each project.

But meeting and working with Clara, Thomas, Annelieke, André and Jan, Brother Jacques, Conny and Brother Gerard was much more than an introduction to their work. It was the possibility for each of us to find stillness and a new path back to our own source.

As a group we met in a very personal and uniquely deep manner, which none of us had expected in advance. I am convinced that the collaboration in our Province is enriched through this experience.

In the evening we had the chance to listen to each other, we shared thoughts about a planned sabbatical, a child’s 18th birthday, about spinning cups, a moment of the darkness to the light and last but not least I learned a lot about the deep meaning of drinking whisky together!

Very best thanks to all of you making this week to an unforgettable experience and it is wonderful to know, what amazing opportunities are offered to young people in the Netherlands.

Renate

Tijdens de slotbijeenkomst op de laatste morgen, werden de gasten uitgenodigd om in tien minuten een kort bericht te schrijven aan iemand die geïnteresseerd is in hun ervaringen van de afgelopen dagen.

Met hun toestemming deel ik hier hun kostbare en bemoedigende gedachten:

 

The last few days have renewed my confidence that there is a Source which refreshes and brings life to me. They have helped me see again that without regularly attending to this Source I can tend to force life and want life to fit to the script I have already written. It has been great to spend time in silence with other Marists and to become more aware of the life that wants to live in me. I return home with much gratitude for those who welcomed, fed and encouraged us and a resolve to make more time for silence and stillness in my life.

Martin (Schotland)

 

It has been a great experience for me. I didn´t expect to feel at home from the first moment but I have the impression that all of these days I have been in MY family.

Share with all the people in all the workshops and try to go deeper has been so easy that I only can say THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU.

Jaime (Spanje)

 

Hi, I write you this message to invite you with the flyer you will find in attached document, about the session proposed in Nijmegen.

Certainly you will be touched here by a warm atmosphere among the participants and the team.

During a few hours this team will propose you to live an inner journey thanks to moments of silence, discovery of rich texts from the Bible and so many other interesting proposals.

I am sure that you will live a deep experience that can help you in your family, your personal life and your work.

Don’t miss this opportunity !

Fr. Albert (België)

 

Hey Nays,

I’ve got some great news for Tuesday Club.
These have come from my time in Nijmegen. There the Marists of Nijmegen and beyond express their Marist Way through Attentive Presence.
This is realized and shared, through a House of Stillness. Moments of Silence… the welcome and space they provide and share with you. Even the pouring of tea and coffee.

Here we experienced autobiographic writing… something we know by other names, but it has been a welcome reminder of the power of this. The exploring of thoughts, feelings and spirit through written word. The sharing of this. The receipt of responses – it brings resonance and a real quality of contact as we attend to one another’s truths.

Bibliodrama – like many I was unsure about this at first but was struck by the opportunity it provides to step into a story as scene and to experience it in relationship with self and others. Clara who guided the session was remarkable.
I’d like to experiment with this, and I think you’d love this.

Let’s get together at the weekend and dream. Love to Charlotte and the bump.

Alastair (Schotland)

 

Hello dear,

How to start.

Being in Nijmegen in the Westerhelling Week touched me deeply. We met as a group and as individuals in such a deep and honest way. Getting an impressing introduction by the Marists of the Netherlands in their projects was much more than talking about the work, projects or methods. I learned so much about the US and the ME.

You asked me about the common language in such an international group? I told you the language was English, but our common language was also the silence.

I feel enriched and strengthened by that week and it is a desire of me to talk about this experience with you, in the hope to share these days and to bring some of my experience home to our life and work.

Renate (Duitsland)