Bro. Jean Claude

jean-claudeThe order departure is total: is to leave everything: country, family and family home, for an unknown country. It would be difficult to design a tear-off more radical. My decision to devoted to God more precisely to serve the sick, be with them for the love of Christ, it is an adventure that started after meeting my cousins, one at the major seminary and another among the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and especially with our parish priest, Father Allary, a Belgian Jesuit Priest. With the help of my spiritual director, it took me six years to discern and that was the time that I was doing my secondary school studies.

After my secondary school, the search time was long to guide me in the Hospitaller congregation in the country, knowing that they there existed no St. John of God Congregation, one day I knew of the Hospitaller Order of St John of God through Sister Therese Kansole of Assumption’s religious congregation. She gave me the contacts of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God of Afagnan/Togo. With the agreement of my spiritual director, I dared and hope to write to brother John of God in Spénard.

A month later, he sent me the bibliography of Saint of God, the images of the saint and the Order etc. We exchanged letters up to four months. He asked me to provide him all the information regarding myself; and if I wanted to become a member of the order that I am taking the risk in my own expenses to go and join him in Togo.

With the agreement of the family, I left my country for an unknown destination. I have been able to dive, and to respond to the Lord’s invitation to join the religious life … so what is it that Hospitaller Order of Brothers Saint John of God this means for me? This means that discharge more profound my wishes, for which I wish the more, it is also God’s desire for me.

When I say that I am happy I say I feel fulfilled and alive in this life, it brings me true joy and peace in the deeper level. This is not the happiness without struggle, pain and constant challenges, etc, but a deep feeling happiness in daily life. In choosing to be Hospitaller Order of  Brothers Saint John of God means that I am capable of giving myself totally to Jesus in a way that I think that I cannot give in any other vocation that as a brother. I was able to take the plunge and respond to the Lord’s invitation to join religious life.