Sisters of EBCR in Brussel

We wanted to find out how European history is presented there.

The group met at Liége Monastery, starting with the prayer of our Congregation for Europe. It was very enriching to hear about the long-standing ecumenical relations between our communities.

On Tuesday, with Sr Gaetane (Liége) as our knowledgeable guide, we travelled by bus, train, metro and on foot (about 3 hours in total from Liegé) to the "House of European History". On the way through Brussels, we were able to take part in the Eucharistic celebration in St Michel & Gudule Cathedral. This intercultural, international church service in the centre of Europe gave us a valuable insight into European diversity.

On the initiative of the European Parliament, a historic building in Park Leopold was converted into the "House of European History" and opened on 6 May 2017. The collection tells history from a European perspective, vividly presenting Europe's past in order to encourage critical reflection on the present and commitment to the future of Europe.

The exhibition shows events in the history of Europe starting with the French Revolution of 1789.

It is worth taking a look at the homepage at www.historia.europa-eu

The latest contributions point out that the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012, but is currently unable to make a real contribution to peace in Europe. It is said that Europe is in crisis.

We wish Europe a common hope and it became clearer to us that our European Benedictine Congregation has a great task in Europe. In our prayer for Europe, we ask God to include us in his plan for Europe. Europe needs signs of hope!

The fact that the concept of the exhibition in the "House of European History" makes no mention of religion and churches left us with food for thought. This leaves only the bare facts of the power struggles with the repetition of construction, destruction and arduous new beginnings in the foreground. Actually, world history contains the Easter experience: through collapse and death, new life begins again! The name of our congregation is very appropriate: Resurrection.