MSC news from Holland

The Dutch MSC Province is now officially a community under the Generalate.

Our Dutch MSC community will later become part of the European Union to be established.

 Our work is done, as I said during the General Chapter. What we can do now is: continue to follow you all with interest in your work, and certainly we will accompany our interest with our prayers.

On behalf of the brothers of our Dutch MSC Community,

Theo (te Wierik), msc

 Tribute to the Dutch province:

Establishing the MSC in the Philippines, in Indonesia, in Brazil.

Two Dutch Generals, Adrian Brocken and Kees Braun.

Fr Hubert Linckens, who founded the MSC Sisters, was born in Holland.

In Googling Tilburg, one of the major communities of the Dutch Province, this photo and article came up. Graveyard of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Tilburg

The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, popularly known as 'Rooi Harten', have been a large part of the Tilburg missionary society for over 150 years. They moved into the impressive Mission house on the Bredaseweg  204 in 1890, which included a large garden with graveyard. As the congregation dwindled, the complex was sold to a housing corporation in 2010, which converted the Mission house to apartments and build about 60 houses in the garden. The churchyard however, was maintained.

The churchyard, in which an estimated 100 missionaries are buried, is plain yet meticulously maintained. All grave markers are the same: a white cross, which shows only the name, birth date and death date. Some graves contain multiple missionaries. At the back of the yard is a small chapel with statues and the inscription "Lord, grant them eternal rest" (Heer, geef hen eeuwige rust).