On 3 October, the suppression ceremony of the Province of the Netherlands and the erection of the same community as Delegation took place in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, as the structure described in the new General Statute 66B. Javier Álvarez-Ossorio, the Superior General, has accompanied the Dutch community in this special moment.
Early in the morning, the present provincial government met to approve the statutes of the new delegation, and to formally request the General Government the passage from a province into a delegation.
Afterwards there was the Eucharistic celebration presided by Jan Munsters sscc, the provincial superior, that was attended by the Dutch brothers, lay counselors in the community, and brothers from Germany and Flanders.
At the end of the Eucharist, the Superior General addressed a few words to those present and read the decree suppressing the province of the Netherlands and erecting that same community as delegation. The previous provincial government continues as government of the delegation until the end of its current mandate.
After the Eucharist, Rogier van Rossum sscc gave a lecture on the 90-year history of the Dutch Province. He stressed their strong missionary dimension and ended with an emotional singing of "Nunc Dimitis".
It was followed by a meal, after which Jan Wouters sscc presented a photo slideshow of the history of the province.
10/04/2013