Kafarnaüm Pilgrims’ Hostel
The Pilgrims’ Hostel is located just behind the church in Vessem. Since the late 1970s, the farmhouse had served as a friary for several brothers of the Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady of Lourdes.
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The Pilgrims’ Hostel is located just behind the church in Vessem. Since the late 1970s, the farmhouse had served as a friary for several brothers of the Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady of Lourdes. They named their new home Kafarnaüm, a reference to a place in the Holy Land.
The brothers’ life was characterized by peace and contemplation. By the late 1990s, only two brothers remained there. The building was supposed to be sold, but Brother Fons van der Laan proposed turning it into a pilgrims’ inn.
It still is today. In 2011, the last brother moved out, but the Pilgrims’ I…
The Pilgrims’ Hostel is located just behind the church in Vessem. Since the late 1970s, the farmhouse had served as a friary for several brothers of the Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady of Lourdes. They named their new home Kafarnaüm, a reference to a place in the Holy Land.
The brothers’ life was characterized by peace and contemplation. By the late 1990s, only two brothers remained there. The building was supposed to be sold, but Brother Fons van der Laan proposed turning it into a pilgrims’ inn.
It still is today. In 2011, the last brother moved out, but the Pilgrims’ Inn remained open. For pilgrims, it is a place to prepare, to return, and to gain knowledge. But above all, it is a place where you are always welcome. The Pilgrims’ Inn is run by volunteers. In Brabant, they say: “Achterum is’t kermis.” The front door is for the doctor and the priest; everyone else just comes in through the back door. Go around back!
This text has been translated using AI.