Wout (19) and Nicolas (23) occur in: young fathers with their own YouTube-and Facebookkanaal

Aarschot do you Know ‘The Averbode Young Ones’ (TAYO) already? No, that is not the name of a sinister jongerenbende, but from some of the young ‘monks’ of the abbey of Averbode. The two novices, Wout Willems (19) and Nicolas De Brauwer (23), launched its own YouTube and Facebook channel. Their purpose: to let people get acquainted with the world behind the abdijmuren.

“Many young people are wondering what we here a whole day to do and or the monastery, not a prison”, tell Wout and Nicolas. “With our movies, we want to give them a picture. Of course, it is also the way to them today to to speak. Who is waiting on a yet another boring flyer? Videos on social media, moving images... these are the things young people are doing,” according to the kloosterduo.

The promo video for the meeleefdagen is now a week online and has had 600 views. “Meanwhile, there are also already two tenders extra within”, they know. The meeleefdagen take place from 22 to 24 december and are aimed at single men from 17 to 30 years. When the idea came, it was the abdijgemeenschap immediately very enthusiastic.

biblical quotations on hip music

“Even the abbot,” they say. “Yesterday, during the dishes, we went to see old colleagues with new ideas come in. Meanwhile, we have a whole plan figured out. Every second Tuesday of the month we will post a new video online, and that we still do until at least december 2020,. We put our favorite biblical quotations on trendy music but also the everyday life within the walls of the abbey. Why would this not be allowed as children of the twenty-first century? We should also not wait until we're thirty-somethings. It is now that we have to do it. Next week we are launching is already an extra film around Christmas! Filming and editing ourselves. To a large piece of the evening.”

How they come up with the idea to join in? “My parents went weekly to mass and I just went along,” says Wout, which comes from Wolfsdonk (Aarschot). “In my eight years, I am an acolyte. Initially I did this because the wrong then faster passed. Until the time that you get hit by certain statements and any further starts to think. That has continued to grow and suddenly I got the crazy idea to be in the abbey to act.”

Shelter in the church

“I have ran it slightly different,” says Nicolas from Ver-Assebroek (Brugge). “My mother comes from a catholic family but my father was very liberal, even anti-clerical. As a young person was I often in a church against the rain. I had to wait for half an hour on the bus and there was no box. Together with some friends we met then all sorts of mischief. Yes, even vandalenstreken. Until at a certain moment I walked into the church and I ‘got caught’ by the crucifix. "The church is your home," I heard. That is pretty scary. I'm starting to cry and have a walk.”