11 August 2025 – A day in Bruges

After a busy week, the CGE members were treated to a short break to relax and recharge their batteries. For this break, we chose Bruges, a charming Flemish city located about thirty minutes by bus from the Menas Centre.

The day began with morning Mass, celebrated by Father Herbert Vandersmissen. In good spirits and ready to go, we set off at 9:00 a.m. Upon our arrival, Evelien Vanden Berghe, the coordinator of the Heritage House, and Jef De Langhe, archivist, welcomed us warmly. They then entrusted us to two guides: Benoît for those who spoke French and Michel for those who spoke English.

The morning was spent discovering several of Bruges’ most iconic sites: the Basilica of Our Lady, the Basilica of the Precious Blood, the Town Hall and the Grand Place.

A particularly memorable moment was our visit to the Romanesque chapel dedicated to Saint Basil. This place, enlarged in the 12th century to house a relic of the Precious Blood brought back from the Holy Land by Thierry of Alsace, touched us deeply. We felt truly privileged to pray there with many other pilgrims.

After lunch, we embarked on a boat trip through the canals of Bruges. For 30 minutes, without stopping, we glided under a dozen bridges, enjoying the calm and beauty of the landscape. It was peaceful, almost timeless.

Happy with this interlude, we returned to Menas Centre, ready to resume our activities.
The next morning, we said goodbye to Father Yago and Sister Selina, our two facilitators who had accompanied us with their sensitivity and expertise throughout the week.

The day continued with reflections on two major themes that are close to our hearts:

• How to fully live interculturality and internationality in our Congregation,
• And how to reconsider our institutional structures in order to respond creatively to the current challenges.

The sharings in the small groups and in the plenary session were rich, sometimes intense, but always constructive. It was an opportunity to take stock of our practices, and to see what is working well and what may need to be improved.

We continue to rely on your prayers for the future, and we send you our cordial greetings, with hearts filled with gratitude.

Your sisters participants in the EGC