Dear Brothers, Associated Members, and Friends

First of all, I would like to invite all of you to give thanks to God for this special opportunity. Even though we have to keep our distance physically, our meeting since this morning has kept us close spiritually and emotionally, especially with our brothers who are celebrating their Jubilee of profession.

On behalf of the members of the General Council and the entire members of the FIC Family, it is my greatest pleasure to congratulate you Bros: Aufridus Soudant (75 years), Nico Brunott (70 years), Henk van Lieshout (65 years), Frans Turkenburg (65 years), Lo Koeleman and Henk Munnich (60 years), Augustine Kubdaar and Remy Nyukorong (25 years).

I would like to underline what was written in the invitation letter for this special celebration that “to be a good person, to become a better person, means to grow to Jesus Christ, to live out his life, to make his joyful message about the coming of the Kingdom of God our own (Growing towards Jesus, art. 4 of FIC Constitutions). We are all aware that our call and mission is first of all to grow toward Jesus: becoming truly human, Christian and religious FIC Brothers. In order to follow that call, I strongly believe that you have tried your very best. With great love and dedication, you are faithful in carrying out the mission entrusted to you. You gave us a wondrous testimony on how to be truly FIC Brothers.

Since you made your first profession, you have offered your whole life to God and his people through our way of life in community, prayer, and apostolate. Through our beloved congregation, you have done a lot of things to improve the life of so many people in various countries (in The Netherlands, Chile, Malawi, and Ghana) in the field of education, formation, teaching or in other forms of apostolate. Especially for our Dutch Brothers, even after you have retired, you still dedicate yourselves to serve your fellow brothers and also the poor and needy wherever you can find them. Our Constitutions says: That is the very reason why the life of those who, because of old age, illness, or whatever other reason, are not able to participate in the Congregation’s ministry, may continue to grow in value for themselves, for our apostolic community, and for many others.” Your prayers, your becoming of happy brothers, of brothers to each other are really your mission. We are grateful and appreciate very much for all of this.

For our brothers who celebrate 25^th years anniversary as brothers FIC, Bros. Augustine Kubdaar and Remy Nyukorong, we are grateful and appreciate you for your giving yourselves on the service to the Congregation as General Superior and General Treasurer. Your availability to accept that tasks and do your best is one of the ways to apply “we are expected to work in whatever way and place the Congregation, through our authorities, requests of us, also when the request is counter to our desires, preferences, or judgments.” (Art. 23 FIC Constitutions). For whom you are and all you have done and still to be doing for the growth of the kingdom of God in our society, we give you a high commendation. 

Dear brothers, I am very sure that your journey of life as FIC brothers is not always easy. I believe there is lots of time when you experienced light: feel happiness, joy, successful, proud of, etc; however there is also times when you faced some difficulties, even maybe crisis. There is perhaps also darkness: when you had doubt, struggling with your vocation, sadness, failure. But despite all of that, you are now has come to this stage of life. No doubt, it is because you did not give up when you were facing difficulties or when darkness came to your life. You kept on moving towards your ideal and continue your journey as brothers FIC. In that way, even perhaps without you are aware of it, you grow to become a better person and move closer to Christ who has called and sent you. You have been able to do that because you put your trust in the Lord, surrendering yourselves to the will of God, just like what Saint Paul wrote: “One thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Dear Brothers, you have given us the good example that life is a continuous journey. It is a lifelong that asks of us daily efforts to grow in faith in God and trust to our fellow brothers. It requires an ongoing formation.  It demands a constant imitation to our Founders: Msgr. Louis Rutten and Bro. Bernardus Hoecken who were completely “seized by the person and message of Jesus” (Constitutions, art. 9).

Now is the time to be grateful to God and also to ourselves for love and everything that we have received from God during our journey of lives as brothers FIC. We experienced that our good God always guide and protect us in our effort to live out our vocations. Only because of His Love and Blessing we are able to accomplish our call and mission as brothers FIC. Together with Mary, our Mother and the Patron of our Congregation, we offer our gratitude to God and praise him full of joy and happiness. In this very special day of the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, I would like to pray: “Almighty and everlasting God, you have taken up body and soul into heavenly glory the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Your Son: Grant, we beseech You, that, ever intent upon heavenly things, we may be worthy to be partakers of her glory. May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness and join in her hymn of endless love and praise. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen”

Brothers, let us continue our journey of lives as brothers FIC with grateful and faithful because God is Love and he will always love, bless, guide and protect us until the end.

 Be very much assured of our brotherly love, prayers, and support. Once again, hearty congratulations

Your brother in Christ,

Theodorus Suwariyanto