On Saturday, 13 August, the Flemish Redemptorists and some associates of the St Clemens Province gathered in the senior convent in Heist-op-den-Berg for the golden ordination jubilee of Father Frans Schenk.
The jubilee celebration was presided over by Father Provincial Jan Hafmans and was for all a grateful reunion after two years in Covid seclusion. The 97-year-old jubilarian beamed and witnessed his joy.
Father Frans was a novice from 1944-1946 and was a gardener and sacristan in Leuven for more than 25 years before being ordained a priest in 1972. As a priest, he modestly and servilely continued to combine care for the garden and the church with listening to people before or after the Eucharist.
Those who celebrated Mass with Father Frans were struck by the joy and intimacy he radiated as the presider.
Ives De Mey, C.Ss.R.
