For us, the uniqueness of the Windesheim heritage lies in the fact that, from the 16th century, it was passed on to successive generations of young exiles, many of whom were closely connected with the English Martyrs. These generous souls, who were accustomed to adversity, unconsciously tempered the spirituality they first assimilated at Louvain, and then at Bruges, with a certain robustness that we see throughout our long history.
14 September 1629
On the evening of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, five English nuns disembarked from a barge at the “Minnewater” at Brydges (Bruges). Where were they from and what were they seeking? They had come from Saint Monica’s in Louvain, an entirely English convent founded in 1609 by the old Windesheim priory of Saint Ursula (1415), situated in the same town.
