In Memoriam Rens Schulte

Our faithful church and pilgrim friend Rens Schulte is no more! We will miss his loyal, quiet presence in the Gerfkamer from now on. Always serving the common good, never putting himself in the foreground and yet also wonderfully stubborn. A unique combination of properties.

Our first memory was 20 years ago when we met him scurrying around in the church. Full of attention, he cut away a dead flower and rearranged the bouquet in the large vase. “Do you work here?” one of us asked. “He lives here!” a man chuckled further on.

Rens was part of a group of volunteers who had ensured that the Stevenskerk was open daily again. For free. As a spiritual living room of the city – although he himself would never use the word “spiritual”. Rens was averse to woolly talk. Attempts to look at life in a verbose way usually ended in a harsh joke. Or a short: “work has to be done!” And hop, he dived back behind the computer or disappeared into the church.

As manager of the church, he became a loyal supporter of our pilgrimage route. It is thanks to him that the image of our symbol was screwed into the inner wall. Without meetings or even a request from us, he just did it!

He must have shaken hands with thousands of pilgrims who came to the Gerfkamer after the end of their journey. He then put a firm stamp in their route guide with a heartfelt congratulations. And then, that is. Because there was work to be done!

We will often think of him when we enter the Stevenskerk. Somewhere we will still feel that he is there. That we only have to go into the small door to the Gerfkamer to see him sitting there: working tightly behind the computer screen. After which he looks up for a moment, to give us a friendly welcome.

Walk of Wisdom Foundation