Br. Gait was born on November 30, 1937, in Lochem. On August 15, 1956, he took his vows in Maastricht. He passed away at the De Beyart nursing home on September 8, 2026.

In his room here at De Beyart, there are still many reminders of the eighteen years he spent working in Spain and the nineteen years during which he devoted his best efforts to the people of Chile. On his desk was a box full of photos, a treasure trove of stories, and eyes filled with tears. Gait leaves behind a life that was always defined by compassion for his fellow human beings. He was also always fascinated by people. How we will miss him as a family member, fellow brother, and fellow human being!

When he was eighteen years old, he said he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his brother, who bore the religious name Libertus. On February 2, 1955, he reported for duty here at De Beyart and completed the postulancy and novitiate. There, he received training as a cook. He practiced this trade in the De Beyart kitchen and in the former convent on Lage Barakken in Maastricht. Gait was asked to perform kitchen and maintenance work at our juniorate in Miranda del Ebro, Spain. The FIC operated a training school there for future missionaries to Chile. For eighteen years, he took care of the house staff there, managed the kitchen, handled all food purchases, and carried out social work among the poor. The juniorate has since been closed, and Gait returned to the Netherlands in 1980.

Gait has always been fascinated by people, was fully fluent in Spanish, and was eager to put this "experience" to use in Chile. In October 1980, his wish was granted. Upon his arrival, the provincial superior, Pedro Wolters, told him "that he would have to look for suitable work on his own."

Gait had completed training as a cook. In our Chilean communities, there were women responsible for preparing meals who were very familiar with the local cuisine. Gait noted at the time that the women were not exactly eager for his arrival. For him, however, that was not a problem; on the contrary, it gave him the freedom and space to choose for himself how he wanted to devote his heart to the vulnerable. In this beautiful country, he seized the many opportunities to be there for his fellow human beings with both hands.

His path led him from Santiago to Buin. There, he became closely involved in the work of Mauricio van Grinsven, who built a chapel as a focal point for the Manuel Plaza neighborhood. Just before the festive opening in 1982, however, Mauricio suddenly passed away. As fate would have it, the very first service held in the chapel was his own funeral—a memorable farewell in which hundreds of neighborhood residents gathered in the building he himself had left behind. Gait continued his pastoral and social work, organizing meals for the children and a bakery for the mothers. It was during the height of military oppression in Chile.

A few years later, Gait moved to a new community in Talca. After a period of study and active work in the parish, the bishop appointed Gait as “ministro extraordinario” and assigned him as pastor of the neighborhood chapel. Over the years, he would perform forty weddings there, conduct 45 church funerals, and baptize more than a hundred children. He himself said of this time: “Those were very blessed years.”

In Chile, Gait was a man among men. Throughout his life, he was deeply moved by the plight of others—a plight that was painfully widespread in Chile at the time. Because there was a lack of proper care for the elderly, he dedicated himself to establishing several nursing homes. In Talca, he started a rehabilitation center for alcoholics and a shelter for drug addicts. It was an extremely difficult and often lonely mission, but at the same time, it was work that he found deeply rewarding.

In 1999, his health began to decline. He suffered a stroke and felt terribly tired. On the advice of Lucio Torres, the provincial superior, he returned to the Netherlands. In Maastricht, he dedicated himself to our project “In de Rooden Leeuw” and became the person in charge of the Beyart-shop, which was still located in the basement at the time. He accompanied the sick to the AZM, baked pancakes every Saturday afternoon at De Schark, and faithfully ran errands for everyone.

Gait is a man who, throughout his entire life, has inspired trust in others. This attitude toward life is gratefully put to use in connection with the sale of De Beyart and in carrying out work that shouldn't be broadcast to the world. In this, he is a source of support to many leaders. He is a loyal member of his community and a rock of strength for a number of fellow brothers in need. All of this without “showing off.” In all simplicity. With a big heart.

Huub Oosterhuis once wrote a text that could have been written specifically for the good Gait:

“Who can ever separate us

from God, our good and our life?

Neither the future nor death

threatens us anymore.

Gracious and faithful,

He will be my peace.

No one can prevent Him

from being our God. "

With Gait's passing, his family loses a faithful member. The people in Chile will learn with tears in their eyes that Gait has passed away. And we, his fellow brothers, may only now realize that from now on we must go on without a faithful, cheerful, and noble person in our midst. Gait made ample use of his many social gifts to serve many people in the places where he was called to work. He did so with great simplicity, without much fanfare, like a true FIC brother!

God will reward him for all he did for his fellow human beings.

May he rest in the eternal peace of his Creator.

Amigo Hermano Gait: A Dios!

Wim Swüste FIC.