To give and receive love is a favour
To spread love is an art
To receive love is a bliss
To be love is a masterpiece

In retrospect these lines can be seen as a summary of bro. Grimoald’s journey through life – and of the way he gave himself to his fellow-brothers and our apostolate.

Bro. Grimoald was born in 1921 in Nuland, the Netherlands, and bound himself to our congregation on August 15, 1942. In his first years as a brother he worked as a teacher in a primary school in Venlo. In 1952 he starts to work in a school for special education in Kerkrade, also the Netherlands. Bro. Grimoald flourished in this kind of education, and was loved for his creativity, his cheerful character and his commitment with the children.

When bro. Hans Corver, who passed away earlier this month, became the headmaster of a school for special education in Maastricht, he took bro. Grimoald with him. Together they were called ‘the reformers’, because of their thorough approach of their work.

Grimoald was a gifted cook. Many Dutch brothers can confirm that he kept sharing this talent long after his apostolate in the technical school was ended. Grimoald worked on several of our schools for special education, latterly as deputy headmaster in Kerkrade. One of his showpieces was the evening school for ex-students, which developed from schoolish meetings into a club where many students and teachers felt welcome.
After his retirement in 1983 bro. Grimoald received the papal decoration Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice for his many years of dedication.

Grimoald also worked as the superior of our communities in Heerlen and Helmond, where he fulfilled the difficult task of closing the communities because of the ageing of the brothers. He was a superior with outspoken ideas about the future and the community-life, at the same time being very attentive for the well-being of older or sick brothers.

In 1999 Grimoald moved to the Beyart, where he stayed active on different levels and found a new best friend in his neighbour sr. Rafael.

We are grateful for the friendship, dedication and loyalty of this dear brother. Now his heart of gold has stopped. His inspiring lifelong search for love is completed in the Love of God.

In memoriam (Nederlands)