RIP: 06/12/2021 - Meerbeek
Br. Jos Luyten was born on 16 January 1948 in Diest, Belgium, where he grew up with his grandparents, his mother having died when he was born. From a young age, he had a strong desire to become a religious. In September 1967 he began the novitiate in Heverlee under the guidance of his novice master, Father Jozef Lammers. He made his first vows on 29 September 1968, the feast of St Michael, St Gabriel and St Rafael. During his initial formation he spent four years, from 1970 to 1974, in the then Belgian mission in the Congo, where he worked in the boarding school of Sandoa. He completed his formation with the profession of perpetual vows on 7 December 1975. At the Heverlee Scholasticate, Br Jos initially devoted himself to domestic and administrative work. He was a sensitive confrere with a keen eye for detail and was honoured to see that confreres were well dressed, with clean and carefully ironed clothes. Until the last days of his life, he worked for many years as a receptionist at the residence for old people “Populierenhof” in Heverlee, where he became the friendly and cheerful face of the home. Even after his retirement, Br Jos continued his voluntary work there and also was in charge of the religious care of the residents. Completely unexpectedly, our confrere died on 6 December 2021 in Meerbeek. He was 73 years old and had been a Salvatorian for 53 years.