The Big Move (Part Two)

As I mentioned, we selected the furniture for the common room. But that didn’t happen just like that. For example, we had good, sturdy wooden tables for the dining hall at the PBS, but chairs with armrests don’t fit underneath them. Most of the chairs we have are table chairs with armrests. So what should we do—buy new tables or buy new chairs? After some discussion, we assumed that nothing new would be purchased. So the search continued. And yes, we found suitable tables in the attic of the Beyart. But who do those tables belong to—the sisters, the FIC brothers, or the Beyart? Who decides? Who has a say in it? After some back‑and‑forth phone calls, we received permission to bring the tables downstairs. But who is still able to carry them? There aren’t many “young brothers” among us.

We also found enough suitable chairs at the estate, the Schark. We can exchange those for the old chapel chairs currently at the Beyart. We also found a suitable meeting table for the general council’s meeting room in the basement of St. Lidwina. We didn’t ask who the table belonged to, but we put a sticker on it.

And that’s how it went with much of the furniture. A cupboard from Halfweg, desks from the PBS, chairs from the Rode Leeuw, and so on.

We made a list of everything, took photos, and indicated where each item should go. During a meeting with the movers, I got the impression that they didn’t quite understand what that entails. They are used to packing up a living room and unpacking it somewhere else. More meetings will follow, with the lists as clarification.

Tools, Figurines, and the Photo Archive

We also started gathering the tools at the Beyart. The tools from Burg. Cortenstraat have already been moved, those from the Capucijnen‑gang will follow, and the PBS will move soon. We have to carry everything ourselves, which is not easy. Team Beyart, together with Bro. Gerard van Geel, will donate the tools to Stichting Wereld Wijd.

We have many souvenirs from Ghana, Chile, and Indonesia. Not just a few—a lot. The Emmaus community has already given the Ghanaian figurines to a family that has done much for Ghana. They were very happy, and so were we. Now the rest still needs to be dealt with.

There are also statues, paintings, and other objects of historical value. Some will be offered to the St. Servaas board, others will be sold.

At the PBS there is a large photo archive with thousands of photos from the Netherlands and mission countries. It would be good if these could be scanned and made available to the various provinces. Unfortunately, there is too little time and no staff. Another option is to store them in St. Agata, where the rest of the archive is kept. This came up during the meeting with the movers, and they said they could take care of that as well. We will continue discussing it.

Team Beyart has taken photos of all the items that can be offered on Marktplaats. We started with Cortenstraat.

Handover of the Keys to the New Flats

This was supposed to take place on February 2nd, 2026, but the flats would not yet be insured at that time. So the keys can only be handed over once all the flats are finished. Only then can they be insured. The date has therefore been postponed.

After that, the interior work can be done and the kitchens installed. The entire move will be delayed by a few weeks. That doesn’t mean we should stop preparing. Several brothers still need to decide what they will take with them and what they will leave behind. They shouldn’t wait until the last moment.

The third general meeting of the new residents (my first) has already taken place. We prepared it well. The brothers only had to answer: I want this, and I don’t want that.

Do we eat our main meal at midday or in the evening? Do you do your own laundry or do we outsource it? Do you want someone to clean your room once a week, or do you do it yourself? Are we invited to join in, or does the group expect you to sit with them—like is customary in Ghana? All very practical questions. We also need to decide who will buy or order the food. And who will cook, and what will we eat? You might think that’s a strange question, but we can choose between Dutch, Ghanaian, and Indonesian food. Who cooks on weekends? And for how many brothers?

There are still many unanswered questions. For example: do we come together because it is necessary, or do we want to form an international community?

When I returned to the Netherlands, I was shocked by the state of the Catholic Church. I’m still not over it. It seems as if the Church is standing still and the parishioners have left. We quickly use the slogan: let’s listen to the voices of today. But do we? Together? With whom?

Do we bring that spirituality into our chapel, or do we adopt Ghanaian spirituality, which many missionaries learned, or do we continue with Indonesian spirituality? I hope we all have the freedom to remain ourselves and not be forced to choose. This also relates to the design of the chapel—will it be in the style of 1960 or 2030? Not everyone can decide that, but it does play a role.

These and other questions must truly be asked if we choose to do everything together. It will fail if we don’t dare to ask them.

When I was still a student, I helped build the vocational school in Zevenaar. That was a collaboration between the FIC Brothers and the Montfortians. A few years later, when I came home from Ireland for vacation, the general bursar asked me to return to Zevenaar to demolish that same school. It had completely fallen apart. Clearly not well discussed.

In the early years in Kaleo (Ghana), Ghanaian and Dutch brothers tried to live together. The former leadership came up with something: the “ideal community” would consist of three Ghanaians and three Dutchmen. We had never talked that through, and it went completely wrong. We reached the point where we had to decide whether to continue together or end the experiment. After many conversations, where nothing was held back, we decided to continue together.

The Actual Move

Because the furniture is quite spread out, we need to gather everything in one place. This can be done in each building. The movers shouldn’t have to open every room to see what needs to be taken.

Cupboards also need to be emptied and perhaps repaired. We expect everyone to pack their own belongings. Desks must be cleared, and clothes packed in boxes or suitcases. If brothers need help, others are willing to assist. Of course, we cannot help choose which books you want to take.

To be continued.

Bro. Jos van Dinther