OASIS report, 12 October 2023

Bro. Michael Sidharta

Today's OASIS activities began with the usual morning prayer. The theme of this morning prayer was “Discernment”, and was led by the brothers from Malawi. We were invited to reflect on the importance of discernment and what should be done to improve our discernment skills.

After breakfast, we started preparing for our visit to De Beyart. Before the visit, Bro. Johan Muitjens gave us some introductory information about De Beyart. De Beyart was originally built as a motherhouse for the FIC brothers. Currently, De Beyart has been transferred to a different owner, and mostly functions as a residence for the elderly.

The current residents of De Beyart consist of FIC Brothers, religious Sisters, and lay people. Today De Beyart is no longer owned by the FIC Congregation. It has become the property of a Foundation that organizes care for elderly people.

After receiving brief information from Bro. Johan Muitjens, the OASIS participants moved in a group to De Beyart. At the entrance of the complex, Bro. Johan Muitjens pointed out the historical places, both outside and inside the building. The story of the complex started with the ruins of the former monastery building. Then the OASIS participants were invited to enter De Beyart building. 

In the lobby of De Beyart there are statues of Mgr. Ludovicus Rutten and Bro. Bernardus Hoecken. The management of De Beyart continues to pay attention and honour the two founders of the FIC Congregation. Before entering the interior of De Beyart, participants were given the opportunity to have a short prayer in the chapel. The visit to the De Beyart ended in the restaurant of the complex. 

De Beyart is no longer a monastery. It has become a place of service for the elderly. Some of the structures have also been redesigned so that people who have experienced difficulty in moving can live well. Thus, Mgr Rutten's principle and struggle to help those in need still finds its meaning in De Beyart. The building, as part of the FIC Congregation continues to cater for people who are in need. The principle of giving oneself to the service of people still finds its context.

After the visit to De Beyart, the OASIS participants shared their experiences and also asked clarifying questions. One question was:  whether the brothers will still be able to visit De Beyart, and the historical places of the Congregation when there are no more brothers living at De Beyart/Maastricht. Definitely, the situation will change. After all, De Beyart no longer belongs to the FIC Congregation. The reflection on De Beyart eventually led the OASIS participants to reflect on the changing conditions in the life of the Congregation. These changes will ultimately also affect our life. 

In the afternoon session, Bro. Raphael invited the participants to have a reflection and devotion to Mary, our Patroness. This activity was carried out in the prayer room in the form of a reflective prayer. Some Brothers' contributions on Mary became the material for the OASIS participants' reflections. Mary has a special role in the FIC Congregation. The founders of the congregation experienced Mother Mary’s help in managing the congregation. It is hoped that the brothers will also have a spiritual experience with Mother Mary. 

Today's OASIS activities ended at De Beyart, where the Oasis participants expressed their devotion to Mary in their provincial groups: Indonesia, Ghana, Malawi, Netherlands and Chile. The Marian service that evening became an expression of the Marian devotion in various cultures. So that afternoon the OASIS brothers and the brothers at De Beyart celebrated the richness of culture in praising Mother Mary. 

The activities of the OASIS participants and the brothers at De Beyart concluded with a dinner together. During the dinner, the two sides shared their experiences with each other. The dinner was a congregational celebration in the spirit of brotherhood. May we be able to nurture the gift of vocation as FIC Brothers in the spirit of our founders, Mgr. Ludovicus Rutten and Bro. Bernardus Hoecken.