What should have been a memorable day for Catharina and her friend Cor seemed to turn into a deception. The duo stood in line for hours in Dwingeloo so that they could see The Passion in first-class seats. Once they arrived at the Kleine Brink, it turned out that they were not allowed to be there. The church offered a solution.
“When we arrived we had to walk behind security and we ended up in a nice spot,” says Catharina. “But because Cor has a walker, we had to go to the disabled section. When we got there we were told that there was no place for us and that we should have made a reservation.”
“Then you have to wait all day. We were really looking forward to it. When we were sent away, I got really angry and thought: what now?”, Catharina describes. Cor adds: “We were still able to connect to a compartment at the back, but then we couldn’t see anything because with a walker you simply sit lower. The only conclusion was: it just doesn’t work this way.”
Disappointed and angry, they left the site where The Passion took place. “I can walk, but I know how difficult it is for people who have a wheelchair, for example. There is actually very little room for that,” says Catharina. “I noticed that for the first time today with Cor, you are actually a bit discriminated against. Everyone has the right to attend such an event, but then you are fobbed off with: we will take it with us for next time.”
Disillusioned, they thought they would return home, until they passed in front of the door of the Brug-Es Church in the village. “We had already been there in the afternoon, initially because I had to go to the toilet. But they were so hospitable there,” says Catharina enthusiastically. “We were immediately offered an Easter meal and also attended a service even though we are not religious at all.”
The hospitality of the church ensured that Cor and Catharina still had an unforgettable evening in Dwingeloo. “We were able to sit at the very front of the church. We also encountered other people with wheelchairs who could not stand in the audience, and they were beckoned in by people from the church,” Cor explains. The experience in church completely made the day for him. “Not just watching The Passion, but especially the feeling of being together.”
Catharina agrees with this. “It gave me a very warm feeling, you are welcome here. I will never forget this moment. I think it is an even better feeling to watch The Passion here in the church than if we had stood outside.”
