We publish a few photos from our international community’s first year, 2011-2012, which began in September at Leo XIII seminary and then a few months later moved to the American College.
While at the American College, we became part of the University Parish International Community, working together fruitfully with our sister English-speaking community at Justus Lipsius College, whose then pastor, Prof. Reimund Bieringer, is an alumnus of the American College. In addition to the College chapel, we were permitted to use the refectory for our hospitality time following the Eucharist.
Our community remains deeply grateful to the KU Leuven, particularly to Professors Bieringer and Lieven Boeve (then dean of the theology faculty), for their support of our ministry at that crucial beginning stage. The community also had the enthusiastic support of many American College alumni (including former rectors), as well as that of Bishop Johan Bonny (who gifted the community its first chalice), then Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard (now emeritus), and, especially, Bishop Leon Lemmens, then the auxiliary bishop of our vicariate.
At the end of that first year, our community moved to Sint Kwinten.