Youngest chaplain in the Netherlands in Willibrordus Parish
OSS | Young priests are a strange thing these days. Most priests who are active are of advanced age and often have a heavy task due to understaffing. Nevertheless, the pastoral team of the Willibrordus Parish has recently been reinforced with a young chaplain with a Flemish accent: Quinten Kerckhofs (28). As an only child, he grew up in a family in Antwerp in which religion played a role.
by Dick Hubertus
The young priest tells his story in the monumental rectory from 1751 next to the Grote Kerk. “Like many of my contemporaries, faith in my youth in Antwerp did not play an important role. It was my grandmother who took me to church as a teenager to attend mass. So gradually the desire to become. After a stay with the Norbertines in the abbey of Tongerlo in Belgium, I started my priestly studies in Den Bosch in 2015. In May of this year I was made a priest by the bishop. He told me that I am now the youngest priest in the Netherlands.”
He turned out to be a storyteller who lards his statements with many humorous remarks. In Oss he does his best to get to know many people quickly. “A lot of new impressions indeed, but I want to get to know everyone, just invite myself and do a lot of home visits. The priesthood, the faith, and the sacraments are the same all over the world. I am celebrating Mass in the Sacred Heart Church, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.”
“I think confession is an important sacrament. Many people have no pleasant memories of that from their childhood. Mandatory confession with the whole class and drowsy thinking about what you had to confess, such as the sweets that you supposedly took from the tin. But an examination of conscience through a listening priest can be a good experience. The peers I speak to are often more interested in my choice of the priesthood than older ones. They are more open and notice that my motivations are authentic. But it is difficult these days to be young and Catholic. I find relaxation in reading and walking. This summer I went on a hike through Corsica. Tent on the back and into nature. I also liked the last James Bond film I saw with a friend.” About the Christmas party, Chaplain Kerckhofs says: “Christ was not only born 2000 years ago, but he also wants to be with us today and is born anew in our hearts every day.”
