Highlights of our sisters’ life in Belgium
The Olympic Games
As you know, this summer (2024), the Olympic Games were held in Paris.
What a pleasure to see all these athletes giving their all after months and months of training. But what you may not know is that in Eureka (the house where our sisters live), there was also an event taking place! The Tour d’Eureka 2024 by bike! And be proud, because the yellow jersey was won by Sister Alice Geron! While Sister Marie-Louise Mortiaux excelled in endurance and won the medal for best endurance!
Well done to them both!
Jubilees 2024: 65 years of vows by Greta, Madeleine and Bob
On 15 August 2024, we were delighted to celebrate Madeleine Dierckx and Greta Van Audenhove’s 65th anniversary of their vows. Father Bob Dierckx was also celebrating his jubilee, 65 years as a priest, so we were delighted to have him with us! Everyone pitched in!
After a beautiful celebration, photos were shown of Sister Madeleine’s mission work in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Kenya, and of Sister Greta in Rwanda. This gave everyone a chance to get to know the jubilarians better and to see photos of some of the other sisters we had met on mission.
Between the main course and dessert, we were treated to a show: Jacqueline, Monique Moret, Suzy, Mado and Marie-Paule performed a humorous sketch for us: ‘Je suis une amoureuse’ (‘I’m in love’). We had a good laugh and were amazed by our sisters’ theatrical talents! And Monique Moret, as well as playing a role, had taken the time to make some beautiful costumes. All in all, everything went off in good spirits, and we were also lucky enough to have Chantal Van Kalck with us on her return from Algeria.
At the end of the meal, before leaving, everyone was able to choose a small gift and received a small card made by Marie-Paule, as a souvenir of this wonderful day.
102 birthday of Marie-Louise Thiry
The August birthday party was held at the St Joseph’s home on 29 August. In the middle of summer, the entertainers had come up with a whole beach decor and entertainment for the occasion. One of the birthdays was Marie-Louise Thiry’s 102nd birthday. An official from Evere municipality paid her a visit, presented her with a diploma and a beautiful bouquet, and chatted with her for a long time. We made the most of this beautiful summer’s day and Marie-Louise was very happy with her celebration.
101 birthday of Sister Maria Alexis
To mark the 101st birthday of Sister Maria Alexis, the alderman came to the birthday party for the residents of the St Joseph’s home in November, and Sister Maria was treated to a special treat. At first, she didn’t understand the sense of doing something special again for her 101st birthday. For 100, she understood, but not for 101! But as the afternoon went on, she got used to it. She even asked to be allowed to make a speech, an extract of which I’ll share with you here:
‘… I firmly believe that there is another life and that this other life awaits us all here, whether you are believers or not. Beyond what we see is something wonderful, something splendid that doesn’t need wings or anything else, that simply needs the love of God and the love of others. So I thank you for that and I ask you to be with me in this love of God’.
Thank you Maria for this beautiful message of faith and hope!
shared by Claire Blanpain, Belgium coordinator
