20^th Anniversary of the Chapel for Europe in the service of European Christians.

Starting  September 22, we began celebrating the Chapel’s 20th anniversary. There was an ecumenical thanksgiving celebration, streamed online, presided by the religious Heads in Belgium of the Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Catholic Churches. There was a big Garden Party, a lovely time and an opportunity for many to meet in person after a year and a half of virtual meetings. There will be a series of five concerts “Festival Chapel for Europe” in the following weeks. There will be conferences on European common good and on the interfaith openness.  To give thanks for our past. To share the joy of the present time. To reflect together on the years to come.

Dream

At the beginning there was a dream. A dream of a Europe which, according to Robert Schuman, should be more than a simple economic and technical project, which should have a “soul”. And a dream of a place for spiritual nourishment for the thousands of staff working each day for the European institutions in Brussels.

And the result? The reconstruction – just between the Parliament and the European Commission – of a little Chapel, with history dating back to the 15^th Century; a multicultural, ecumenical place of prayer and celebration, of reflection and dialogue. Since its inauguration, it has had an ecumenical profile, being run and supported by EU staff, Jesuits, various Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic Churches and even other organisations. A true miracle of “unity in diversity”. Welcome to the Chapel for Europe!

Passion

Over time, the Chapel gained recognition with a diverse program offering something for all tastes: from multiple prayer groups, spiritual workshops and retreats, to a variety of celebrations, which are often ecumenical. However, the Chapel is not only a place of prayer – it also offers a space for reflection and dialogue on pertinent European issues, promoting a Christian perspective via its conferences, movie nights, exhibitions and workshops.

Since the start of the pandemic, in line with sanitary measures in place and the fact that most EU staff were working from home, most of the Chapel’s events have become virtual or hybrid, with a limited number of people being welcomed in the Chapel, and events simultaneously being broadcast online via Zoom, FB Live or YouTube. In this way, the Chapel continued to support its community, showing that even the coronavirus cannot suppress our passion for life and for Europe.

Hope

The Chapel has been ecumenical since its very beginning, however over the past few years, and particularly following the Brussels terror attacks in 2016, it has become clear that ecumenism is not enough, and that in Brussels there is ever more need for inter-religious events. This is why the Chapel, in collaboration with other partners, cofounded the interreligious network “HOPE” (Homes of Presence and Encounter) in Brussels. In such a way, the interreligious dimension becomes more and more significant among all the Chapel’s activities.