“The Way God accompanies is so special...”

It was in mid 2003. I was asked to lead a retreat for a group of students (boys and girls) from a Junior Secondary School.  I began with introducing myself, saying: “Welcome to you all. It’s nice to welcome you here. Is it ok that I start by introducing  myself to you?” When I sensed that they welcome my self-introduction, so I continued, “My mother gave birth to me and I was given the name Daru Setiaji. When I was a third-year student at a Junior Secondary School I was baptized and took the name Valentinus. So my full name became Valentinus Daru Setiaji.  That time my parents were not yet Catholic, but they supported my becoming a disciple of Christ. Thus I became the first Catholic in the family. At about the end of my Senior Secondary School education I developed an interest to become a brother. I took the screening-test and passed. After three years of initial formation I was admitted to make my profession. Now I am a Brother FIC and am usually called Brother Valent. Yet if it is difficult for you to remember my name, just call me ‘Brother’ and I’ll respond. This is it for now about me. Is there any question?”

After some moment of waiting, there were two students raising their hands to ask their questions. One of them asked about the meaning of the word “brother” and how I feel living as a “brother”.

The word “brother” is not familiar in the ears of teenagers. They are more familiar with the word “romo (father)” or “pastor” and what those words mean, but not with the word “brother”. So I gladly gave an explanation and shared with them my feelings / experiences of being a Brother. I told them, “I am happy to be a Brother - a Brother to all. I’m happy because “to be a Brother to all” is the ideal in my life and the FIC Congregation helps me to realize this. The ideal has grown in my heart since the time I became aware of how great the love of God is for me and my family.  The way God has been present to my family and accompanied me during my formation years has been so special that I became interested to respond to His love in a special way too by living as a Brother”.

I don’t know how many times I have been telling this story to the young people coming for retreat. At least since 2002, when I started being active giving spiritual accompaniment to young people, more and more often I tell the story about my vocation to the FIC Brotherhood. It is always spirit-lifting every time I tell my story. Moreover, since 2007 I have been charged to run the “FIC Syalom Retreat House” specifically dedicated to give spiritual accompaniment and character-building to teenagers and young people. About 6000 of teenagers and young people come every year to this Retreat House to do their retreat. Here I find many opportunities to witness that God is Love, in my life-experiences as well as it is proclaimed in the Scriptures.

This apostolic work I am doing strengthens my vocation as a Brother and makes it grow. I feel connected with the works of Father Louis Rutten and Brother Bernardus Hoecken who opened catechetical classes to help young people in Maastricht who are religiously neglected due to the strong current of industrialization of that time. Together with the other Brothers I am also sent to work among the teenagers and young people, accompanying them in their life-journey and offering them something to hold onto while journeying through life which is not free from turbulence. On a different level, the teenagers and young people of this time tend to experience the growing shallowness of their religious life as a consequence of the influence of secularism and communication-revolution that is not managed properly. That is why they need to know God who is Love. HE is the ONE, the sure hope to hold onto in life, that we offer to teenagers, to the young and to all who come. We do it through the different activities of faith-deepening, recollection, retreat and character-building.

I am aware that what I am doing does not have an impact as great as what Father Louis Rutten and Brother Bernardus did. They founded the FIC Congregation that had a broad positive impact in the town of Maasricht and in many other towns in other parts of the world. Yet I am continuously motivated to persevere in the services I am doing. I am to continuously learning to find the right language and way of witnessing “God who is Love” so that the people of this time, especially the teenagers and the young can understand and accept rightly too. It is not always easy. Yet I also learn from Father Louis Rutten and Brother Bernardus. They read the sings of the time distinctly and responded to them correctly. This could happen because they had the sharp eyes of faith, sharpened by their regular spiritual exercises.

The life-experiences of Father Louis Rutten and Brother Bernardus Hoecken confirms my conviction more and more that God’s way of accompanying us in life is so special. I am very grateful because the examples of the two FIC Founders are still shining brightly for the world of today and giving me the inspiration to do something beneficial, however small and simple it is, for teenagers and young people of this time.

Bro. Valentinus Daru Setiaji, fic