Normally, the annual celebration of Feast of the Blessed Petrus Donders will be celebrated in great style, especially in his hometown Tilburg, among others with the annual presentation and prize-giving ceremony of the ‘Gouwe Peerke’ (‘golden Peter’), a prize for a person or organization in Tilburg or surroundings, who dedicate themselves in a special way to charity work in the spirit of Petrus Donders (who is known as ‘Peerke’ in his native region). But public gatherings cannot be held due to the Covid-19 Pandemic…
However, a celebration will be broadcasted from the monastery church in Wittem on January 14th, the day itself, at 08.00 am via the internet: www.kloosterwittem.nl/live or https://youtu.be/H972J58jHNs.
In the following weekend, 16 and 17 January, in many parish churches in the dioceses of Den Bosch and Roermond there will be a ‘Peter Donders Sunday’: commemorating the Blessed Peter Donders in the Sunday Masses.
There are an increasing interest and sympathy for the Peerke Donders Pavilion, Museum of Charity, in Tilburg. It is built 11 years ago next to Peters birth house and the Peter Donders Chapel. More and more people, associations and school groups visit the sanctuary and the pavilion, but it has now been closed for some time due to corona. As an alternative, there is a nice travelling exhibition about the life of the blessed Redemptorist and his significance for today. The seven big vertical banners can currently be seen in the church of Wittem.
In the magazine Gerardus, which just entered its 101st year of existence (!), will pay attention to Petrus Donders in each issue in 2021. In every publication, there will be a portrait by an admirer of our blessed Peter Donders.
Fr. Henk Erinkveld CSsR, superior of the Wittem Monastery
Below is a link to the live broadcast from the church in Wittem, where the Eucharist will be celebrated on Blessed Peter’s feast day.
