The Diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden announced yesterday the name of the priest who succeeds Vicar General Johan te Velde, not as vicar general, but as regional vicar. He is 35-year-old Father Arjen Bultsma.
Msgr. te Velde recently announced that he would lay down his function as one of the diocese’s two vicars general in order to become a Benedictine monk. Msgr. Peter Wellen remains as the single vicar general, and is also a regional vicar for the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe. Fr. Bultsma will be regional vicar for the province of Friesland and the Noordoostpolder, basically the western half of the diocese. He also remains in fucntion as parish priest in four parishes in western Friesland.
Despite his young age, the new vicar accepted the assignment after a few days’ consideration, and says he sees it as a vote of confidence from the bishop. As a focal point for his work as regional vicar, Fr. Bultsma mentions a serious understanding of the lessons of Vatican II, especially the baptismal or common priesthood of all the faithful:
“Who are they, how and where do they live and what are their talents. And then: what is needed to keep building up the Church and proclaim the Gospel with that. This approach brings the people in the church together, laity and clergy, in a necessarily communicative, but also mutually reinforcing way.”
Photo credit: Marlies Bosch
In Caelo et in Terra 