Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, …but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (I Corinthians 13:4, 7-8)
Brother Ivo passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 24, 2024, in the company of his Brothers, Adelbert and Johan and caring staff at the Residential Care Center in Herdershove, which has been the home of our Flemish Brothers in recent years.
A native of the village of Hooglede in West Flanders, Gabriël Vanderjeugt entered the Novitiate in Torhout on August 30, 1950 at the age of seventeen. There he received the habit of the Xaverian Brothers and the religious name ‘Ivo.’ Even after he reverted to his baptismal name Gabriël everyone still called him by his religious name ‘Broeder Ivo.’ By 1956, Brother had completed his professional studies and began his life as a teacher, a loyal confrere, a congregational leader, and, most importantly, his life as Xaverian Brother. Brother Ivo grew in Christ’s self-giving love as described above by St. Paul. For the seventy-three years as a Xaverian, Brother Ivo would “allow himself to be formed and transformed by God through the common, ordinary and unspectacular flow of his life as a Brother.” (Fundamental Principles of Xaverian Brothers, paraphrased)
Brother Ivo was a teacher and administrator, at Saint Joseph School in Heist on the North Sea and at Saint Leo’s in Zedelgem. Brother served in congregational leadership. He was elected Provincial of the then Belgian Province in 1980 and was a member of the General Council. Brother was the last provincial before the province became a region under the Generalate. He also served for many years as regional coordinator until his health prevented it.
Under his leadership great strides were made in the formation program of our Congolese Brothers. Brother Ivo made sure that religious formation was an essential part of university studies. For many years, Brother Ivo was the Congregation’s representative to the Belgian government for the schools that were operated by the Brothers. He made a substantive contribution to the presence of Catholic education in West Flanders. Brother Ivo’s greatest contribution was to the life of his fellow Xaverians. As brother to his confreres, Brother Ivo knew the meaning of the following exhortation in our Rule of Life.
Listen to your brothers, be compassionate with them in their difficulties, bear with them in their weaknesses, encourage and support them.
Brother always treated his Brothers with patience, kindness and respect no matter how difficult the individual might be. He was very willing to endure all things with a patient smile.
The exhortation continues:
Affirm your brothers in their gifts, for by doing so you enable them to realize the gifts that God has given them for his service.
Having visited the Mariastraat community many times, I witnessed in small acts of patience and kindness how generously Brother Ivo put the interest of his Brothers before his own. His love of Christ and the Congregation enabled him to affirm his confreres in their gifts and to help them experience the love of God. As a son of Ryken, Brother knew the Founder insisted that the ‘heart of our Xaverian life is communion with the living God.’ (FP paraphrased).
Brother’s living our charism is a clear example of how ‘fraternal love and friendship builds community and is one of our chief joys as followers of Christ.’ (FP paraphrased) Brother Ivo now knows that ‘love never fails.’ May Brother experience the peace of Christ promised to all good and faithful servants.
Prepared by Brother Edward Driscoll, CFX
Funeral Arrangements
Thursday, October 31 at the Church of Christ the King, Bruges