Br. Robert Thunus
The General Council, after studying the results of the consultation carried out in the Province, has appointed Br. Robert Thunus as Provincial of West Central Europe, for a first mandate of three years.
Br. Robert will begin his service as Provincial during the next Provincial Chapter, which is due to take place from the 23rd to 26th April 2019.
Br. Ernesto, in his letter sent to the Province on 27 November, thanked Br. Brendan Geary, Provincial for the last 9 years: “I have witnessed personally – as a General Councillor and now as Superior General – your generous devotedness, and the creative ways that you have accompanied the diverse realities of the five Countries of the Province, forming teams with the members of your Councils.”
Br. Robert Thunus
Son of parents from a working class background, I was born in 1960, in Waimes to the East of Belgium. I have a sister and three brothers one of whom died at the age of 13. I am the last, with my twin brother who teaches in a Marist school.
I first encountered the Marist Brothers during my tertiary studies in electro mechanics, at the Institute of Notre-Dame in Malmedy. During my postulantship I followed a course ofreligious studies in Charleroi. Then I entered the French-speaking international Novitiate in Switzerland. I made my first vows in 1983 and my perpetual vows in 1988.
In the course of my work with young people, I taught religion, was vocations animator, taughtin the boarding school, was catechist in the parish and involved in facilitating Marist Vocations.
After a number of years in this apostolate, I followed a supplementary courseof formation in catechetics and pastoral work in the Lumen Vitae Institute in Brussels; then I spent some time in Italy in the Focolari Movement.
From 2003 until 2006, I took part in an international project, set up byour new Province in Dublin, Ireland, for the accompaniment of young adults. I was a member of the Provincial Council from 2006 to 2012. For 9 years, I was director of the community and the Welcome Centre of le Bua in Habay, being at the same time a member of the European Team for the Mission.
Following a sabbatical, I had the privilege to take part in the last General Chapter in Colombia and followed a formation coursein Canada. Before accepting the Provincialship, I had just been appointed to Brussels to help the Brothers of Belgium deal with the finances and administration. At the beginning of this new stage opening up before me, I am thankful to the Brothers of my Province for their confidence and I place in the hands of God and Mary my new mission of animation of the Province.
