On Sunday 14 November our community celebrated the feast of St. Martin of Tours. We had not been able to hold this event last year, and it was lovely to be able to come together to celebrate this saint!
The children first learned about the life and story of St. Martin, enthusiastically sharing what they already knew about the Saint! They heard how St. Martin, as a Roman soldier, cut his tunic in half and gave half to a freezing beggar and how, that same night, Jesus came to him in a dream wearing the tunic. This vision prompted St. Martin to become a monk before ultimately becoming Bishop of Tours.
Having practiced three special songs for St. Martin and gathered our lanterns, we headed out into the chilly evening. Accompanied by our cheerful songs (in EN and NL! – thanks to Christiaan, Sam and Joachim for their accompaniment!), we walked down through the Begijnhof, our paths guided by the flickering lanterns as evening fell.
Dear Saint MartinDear Saint MartinHelp us toHelp us toAlways think of othersAlways think of othersJust like youJust like you
Our procession ended at Sint-Kwintenshuis where a pan of steaming hot chocolate and plates laden with biscuits gave us a chance to warm up and enjoy the sugary treats normally associated with the feast! It was also a lovely opportunity for children and parents to chat and catch up. Special thanks to Annemie for the refreshments!
All in all, this was a great chance for the children of our community to continue the tradition of celebrating a very inspiring Saint. In addition, it was a wonderful reflection of the youthful and vibrant nature of our Community – also one which is prepared to take our faith out into the world!
Thanks to all parents who came along and all who made the event possible – we look forward to celebrating with even more children next year!
Mark Vaughan-Shaw