Manja Bente: the symbolic first pilgrim of the Walk of Wisdom

In every organization, there are people who do an awful lot of work in the background while they are barely visible in the foreground . These people deserve respect and, from time to time, a public token of recognition. Within the Walk of Wisdom , that is Manja Bente. 

Since and even before the foundation was founded in 2011, Manja has been an inspiring and stable force behind the development of the route. She is a support and anchor for pioneer Damiaan and came up with the concept of the pilgrim’s lace and the bird rings, with which she gave the route cheerfulness and lightness. The leather shoelace turns out to be an excellent and stylish symbol of connection and the bird rings are a great success: pilgrims hoard them. And who could have imagined that the shape of the route would eventually become that of a flying pigeon? Manja hadn’t designed it that way beforehand, it only turned out afterwards.  

As a token of appreciation, Manja was the first pilgrim to receive the icon from Mayor Bruls at the opening on 21 June. 

Some people can’t be thanked enough, Manja is one of them and we hope she will stay involved with the route for a long time to come! 

Photo Manja: Jacinta Kogelman

Photo pilgrim’s lace with bird rings in the first municipality (Berg en Dal): Heleen Litmaath with partner Martijn van Bergen.