Saturday 5 March 2022 was a special day in Nijmegen, at the large house of the Marist Brothers on Westerhelling, on the wooded outskirts of Nijmegen, the Netherlands, where numerous activities have sprung up over the years, intended to help young adults grow in attentive living. A new time is marked. During a joyful meeting, the activities of the brothers were handed over to a new daily management.
Jola van Dijk spoke on behalf of the board of the affiliated Stichting Leerhuis Westerhelling about the policy choices made last year to arrive at a management and organizational model that is as simple as possible. Equal cooperation between the foundation and the House will be central in the coming years, with the board members of the foundation emphatically following social trends and developments among young adults and maintaining relevant networks.
Brother Robert Thunus, chairman of the board of House of Marist Brothers Netherlands and Provincial, spoke about developments in the Province of West-Central Europe and about the new ‘Marist Brothers International’ that will also be located on the Westerhelling in Nijmegen. The elaboration of this will take shape in the coming months. It will be a new organization, initiated by the General Board, in order to continue the mission of the brothers as much as possible and to guarantee the administrative functioning of projects in, among others, Europe for the future.
It is a new time for all concerned. Brother Jacques Scholte, on behalf of House Marist Brothers Netherlands, confirmed the appointment of Conny Stuart as Delegate Marist Activities Identity, and Ineke Tacq as Delegate Marist Activities Policy and Management. Conny Stuart says: “I’m grateful for the trust received and the meaningful challenge. With our appointment, the brothers indicate the importance of good management and they give an innovative shape to the deep desire to continue our activities in the spirit of our Marist spirituality – Attentive Living”.
The delegates and facilitators were together to light the candles and express confidence in a new time. Ineke Tacq repeats the core of all Westerhelling activities: “We believe that life is a gift in which you are invited to connect with who you are at the deepest level. Stillness, simplicity and attentiveness are ways to do that.”
The new Westerhelling leadership takes over the daily work of the brothers. To steer the activities, care and management in the right direction for now and certainly for the future. This major change among the brothers in the Netherlands is a contribution to the worldwide continuation of Marist activities in the long term.
Brother Jacques Scholte says that he is “confident that we can approach the future in a new way”.
