We look back on a wonderful Easter Vigil celebrated in a well-filled Sint-Pieter’s Church in Leuven, where an anticipatory excitement was almost tangible…
The celebration started outside, on the Grote Markt, where volunteers lit the Easter fire. The fire itself came from the Sint-Agatha Church in Wilsele-Putkapel, where since mid-December a “peace light” has been kept, a flame that was lit in Bethlehem and then spread all over the world from Austria, thanks to scouts and scout leaders, among others. In Wilsele this special flame has been kept burning for months, and during the Easter Vigil it was brought to Sint-Pieter’s. Bishop Koen Vanhoutte joined the adult candidates for baptism and confirmation, who had been eagerly awaiting this evening. He blessed the Easter fire and lit the Easter candle, and in procession they entered the church, where the other faithful awaited them.
Bishop Koen presided over a beautiful and joyful celebration, during which everyone helped illuminate the church with a candle in hand and renewed their own baptismal vows. Seven catechumens – Hannah, Yiji, Tong, Devansh, Dongqi, Freerk and Aerin – were welcomed into the Church community through the sacrament of baptism. Then, together with Gabriel, Emma, Waleska, Grace, Raphael, Dorien, Arne, Juana, Rodrigo, Hector, and Dilanny, they were confirmed with the chrism consecrated by Archbishop Luc Terlinden the cathedral in Mechelen. A moving moment, both for them and for everyone present.
The grand climax of the evening, however, was the message that we had all been waiting for: the tomb is empty, Jesus is alive! His death and resurrection are the core of our faith. He is the Lord who brought the newly baptized and confirmed, along with all present, to Sint-Pieter’s Church.
At the end of the celebration, the bishop also blessed three additional Paschal candles from as many faith communities. These candles were welcomed the following day in their respective churches: Sint-Kwinten in Leuven, Sint-Martinus in Wilsele-Dorp, and Sint-Agatha in Wilsele-Putkapel.
