On Monday, July 13, we continued the Poitiers Session on Belgian soil, reflecting on devotion to the Heart of Jesus, following Pope Francis's encyclical Dilexit nos, with an adaptation of a guide prepared by Raúl Pariamachi sscc, of the Andean Province, aimed at updating its content in order to deepen the following talk, which puts the encyclical in dialogue with Father Mateo and our spirituality.
Next, Fernando Cordero sscc approached the figure of Father Mateo Crawley-Boevey sscc in relation to this encyclical, showing how Jesus, King of Love and Dilexit nos —two works, two eras, two styles— converge on the same key idea: presence, trust, and reparation. The journey leads to Bethany, the home where Jesus was welcomed, listened to, and loved, as an icon of what it means today to "enthrone" love in everyday life.
In the afternoon, we made a pilgrimage to the church of St. Anthony in Leuven, in whose crypt rests the body of St. Damien of Molokai. In his homily, Fernando Cordero noted that there are places one does not simply visit, but rather inhabits for an instant, and which then inhabit us forever — and that Damien's entire life was an answer to the question that the day's readings, Isaiah, the psalm, and the gospel of the sword, put on the table: what does God truly ask for? He recalled that the saint was never afraid to get his hands dirty, that the true eucharist resided in the off-key singing of the lepers at Mass in Molokai, and that the sword of the gospel did not come to turn him away from the faith but to purify it, even when not even his own superior could land to visit him. He concluded by inviting the community to respond today, like Damien, "with dirty hands, with an off-key voice, with one's whole life."
We ended the day with a festive dinner with SSCC brothers and sisters in Vogelzang/Herverlee, whom we thank for their warm, fraternal welcome. The sisters offered us a dinner of delicious pizza, beer, and ice cream. Paula Teck sscc and Hilde Reynders sscc presented the history and present-day life of the place, which currently hosts several social and pastoral projects. The sscc brothers of Leuven also joined us. After the outdoor dinner there were songs and dances in several languages. Paula Teck sscc immersed us in a charming song in the Belgians' own language.
The gathering closed with beautiful words from Jean Blaise Mwanda sscc, who said that now the Belgian sisters and brothers see, in many of the brothers and sisters attending the Poitiers Session, the fruit of their mission — that even though it might seem to have borne no fruit, that fruit was right there before them that evening. Indeed, there were brothers and sisters who had come from Colombia, the D.R. Congo, and other places where Belgian missionaries planted the seed. Also present in the memory and hearts of many was Sister José Vivys sscc, who, during the previous Poitiers Session, had delighted in this same visit.
07/14/2026