WelcomeThe International Catholic Community (ICC) of the parish Johannes de Doper in Wageningen wants to welcome all the new students in Wageningen!

Wageningen is a little city but it is also a world in miniature. You ‘ll meet people from many different cultures, different costumes/habits, different languages. Many people will face problems with communication, talking, etc. in the first months, because maybe not everybody understand your accent. Sometimes people try to find other people who speaks their own language. But what happens when you are surrounded by people who speak a language that you don’t understand. Probably you’ll feel alone and sometimes isolated, you can get difficulties to express yourself. BUT DON’T WORRY AT ALL ,you will be ok! Jesus never let you alone. Also here in this little city, he has prepared a place for you, where, despite the language barrier, you ‘ll meet people who speaks the language you know, the language of the heart, the language of God. A place where you can feel at home, a place where you can find and make new friends…this place is the INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC COMMUNITY, your community!

This international community was founded in 2006 by international students from Latin-America who were doing master studies at the University of Wageningen. They, like you, needed a place to feel home. Jaime Carrera took the initiative to form a Spanish prayer group together with more students like Caucasella from Mexico, Carmita and Luis from Ecuador, Thilda from Tahiti and others.

Prayer group Franciscanos de Maria

[Foto: Luis Jarrin, Katerina Belodradova, Jaime Carrera, Carmita Castillo and other members of the prayer group Franciscanos de Maria]

In this time there was a priest (Henri ten Have) in Arnhem who celebrated once a month a holy Mass in Spanish. Because the music which was used during the mass came from a cassette was not really appropriate, they decided to form a Spanish choir.

Members of the Spanish choir

[Foto: Miryam Olórtegui, Caucasella Diaz, Thilda Chevouline and others taking the bus to Arnhem]

In 2007 the priest, Father Henri, was transferred to Wageningen. We thought at the beginning that we would go on with the Spanish masses but he decided to celebrate English masses because of the university of Wageningen. The Spanish choir became an international choir. And the international community began to grow more and more. Students and not Students get members of the ICC. We were united in Christ and having Christ as center of our community. The mission of the ICC is still to be a home for all the international students and other people sharing the immense love God has for each of us.

This is the ICC, a little community where you can feel accepted as a member of this big family which is the Catholic Community, where you can attend the holy Mass in English and receive the holy Sacraments but also where you can participate actively in different activities like the choirs,prayer groups, adoration or to do some voluntary work for example at the coffee service after the Mass or helping the catholic retirement home service. The activities& devotions which the ICC have to offer to you, were once an initiative of students from Asia (rosary prayer group), from Latin America ( Eucharistic adoration), from Africa (Way of the cross prayer during the lent period), from Poland, Europe (Worship & Adoration Evening). The ICC is always open for new initiatives like new prayer groups, devotions or other activities around the catholic spirituality in which you participated in your country.

The Catholic spirituality is so rich and full of inspiration .Let’s share it in this community , let’s share it with the people from the Netherlands who need to see and hear new witnesses of the presence of God, the living God. The God who loves us completely like we are.

On Sunday 20th of September at 10 am. there will be a special celebration, the Parish Day organized by the Dutch and the International Catholic Communities within the parish. This is also a special celebration to officially welcome the new students in Wageningen. That means that there will be NO ENGLISH MASS at the usual time of 12.30 pm!

Parish Day 2014

[Foto: Parish Day 2014]

After the Mass we continue the celebration at the square in front of the church, where world music will be played. There will be also a special international buffet You are warmly and kindly welcome to help with the following things (but you are not obliged!):

We hope to see you all there to have a wonderful time together!

Furthermore we hope you have a wonderful time in this city and of course that you can achieve the goals you have set for the coming years. We will appreciate very much if you would help us to reach more students who are Catholic or who are searching for God, by inviting them to attend the English Masses or to tell them more about the activities of the ICC you can read at the ICC flyer enclosed in this message. We normally send the Mass schedules at the beginning of each month because sometimes there are some changes in Father Henri’s agenda especially on weekdays.

In case you don't want to receive the schedules anymore, feel free to send us an e-mail.

If you have some questions or if you like to participate actively in one of the ICC activities or if you like to share in this community a new prayer group, devotion or others , please feel free to send an e-mail to wageningen.icc@gmail.com or info@iccwageningen.nl or contact Rosío Miranda who coordinates the ICC activities, after the mass.

God bless you all,
International Catholic Community Wageningen