Page 17 - March On! God will Provide by Brother Aubert

FOREWORD XV

inary inquiries in the archives of the diocese of Bruges
for material on Ryken.
When Brother Tillo expressed to Brother Ambrose,
S.G., the pleasure he had found in translating the mono-
graph, he was assigned to do all that he could to further
the Ryken-research in Bruges. At about the same time
Brother Ambrose cornmissioned Brother Florent, a
Hollander, to investigate into the Ryken activities in
North Brabant. He directed both of them to share
their findings with me. Over the years Brother Tillo
and Brother Florent have been tirelessly persistent in
their work and they have kept me informed. They have
been the ideal co-workers.
Through the kindness of Rev. Michael English,
Brother Tillo had access to the archives of the diocese
of Bruges, and through Father Marlier, S.J., he obtained
valuable Ryken-material from the Jesuit archives in
Brussels. Brother Florent rvorked on the Ryken-Beels
genealogy, obtained a copy of the Ryken baptismal
record, and provided biographical details for Rev.
IVlartin Van Beek, the Founder's very good friend in
North Brabant. With Brother Florent I visited his rela-
tives in 's-Hertogenbosch, North Brabant, and went on
pilgrimage to Elshout, the village where Ryken was
born. This was the climax of our years of correspond-
ence, especially when we pushed back the knee-high
grass in an efiort to read the names on the headstones
in the little cemetery to the rear of the Church of Our
Lady of Elshout. We failed to find a "Ryken" but we
were happy in doing a thorough job. Brother Tillo was
my guide in Bruges and with him I visited all the places
in that ancient town associated with the Founder and
the first Xaverian Brothers.
In l95l Brother Ambrose, S.G., assigned me to live
in Rome so that I could familiarize myself with the