Remembering Henri Nouwen, the lonely mystic

Many have struggled over the years debating the Christian message in their own lives but they have remained faithful to the Gospel of the Lord right to the very end. 

One person was the Dutch Catholic priest and writer, Henri Nouwen.

Henri died of heart failure in September 1996 at the age of 64. 

He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Utrecht in 1957 but was destined to spend much of his life beyond the borders of his native country, largely in North America.  

His studies in clinical psychology took place at the University of Nijmegen during the early 1960s followed by two years as a Fellow in the Religion and Psychiatry Program in Topeka, Kansas, where he graduated in 1966. 

It was a time a social unrest in the United States on many fronts, Civil Rights being one of the significant issues. Nouwen took part in the Selma March and later published a memoir of his experience. 

From 1966-68 he was a visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame followed by a couple of years back home at the Catholic Theological Institute of Utrecht. 

He then returned to the States to spend some ten years as a professor at Yale Divinity School. He was to follow this with a short period experiencing the Church in Latin America before returning to the North and Harvard. 

A wounded prophet

A full biography of Henri Nouwen was written and published in 2006 by Michael Ford under the title Wounded Prophet. It offers a full and detailed account of Nouwen's life and work.

Henri wrote many books, taught in many places and inspired many thousands of people.

A couple of years ago Michael Ford published a sequel to his first book on Nouwen, entitled Lonely Mystic. 

This time he examined Nouwen, not through sequential biographical events but through a different lens. He looked who Henri was, at the nature of the man. It is a valuable companion to Ford's earlier text.

One thing is sure, Nouwen was essentially a lonely man. 

He was frequently the center of a crowd -- whether teaching, leading retreats or celebrating the Eucharist. Yet in spite of it all, there was an emptiness. He was indeed a wounded healer. 

Because of his own struggles and experiences he was able support those who were struggling. He knew where they were for he had been there himself. 

"Henri was there seeing the mystery of God, then interpreting it for those who did not understand," said one of Henri's close friend, Frank Hamilton, as quoted by Ford.  

Among the Christian mystics?

Henri's perceptive nature and ability to relate to those in distress demonstrated that he was more than an inspiring teacher and fine book writer. 

It has led some to ask if indeed he was a Christian mystic, following in the steps of Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and Therese of Lisieux. 

Lonely Mystic offers stepping-stones and pointers in that direction.

Nouwen's published writing often took the form of journals. The first and most famous, The Genesee Diary, was published in 1976. It recounts his six-month stay at the Cistercian Abbey of the Genesee in upstate New York. 

It was the first of his books that I read and it was inspirational. There was an honesty in Henri's writing that was immediately recognizable. This man had "been there" and wished to share that experience for the benefit of others. 

He was also a man generous with his time. Early in the 1990s I began an ongoing correspondence with him, a complete stranger writing from the UK to Toronto.

He was living in the Canadian city with a L'Arche Community, a clear and vivid contrast to the academic life that had been his lot for so many years. 

One day, without warning, a package arrived from Toronto. It as a copy of his book With Open Hands and it contained a beautiful hand-written inscription to me. 

The Return of the Prodigal Son

We had only met through the words of his books and yet, just a few brief letters, he took the trouble to be so thoughtful in his gift. It is a book I value. 

My last letter to him went unanswered. Then I saw his obituary in the Tabletof London shortly after his death in 1996. 

The few words we exchanged through our correspondence are now lodged with the Henri Nouwen Foundation in Canada.

Without a doubt, Nouwen was a significant Christian voice of the late 20^thcentury, recognizable for his integrity and honesty. 

That he should spend his final years at the L'Arche Community in Toronto is not without significance. The priest and teacher who was himself wounded spent time with others who were also severely wounded in so many ways.

He was on his way to Russia to see Rembrandt's painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son"when illness took his life. He had written a book that bore that title four years earlier.

Henry Nouwen remains alive through his numerous writings and through the memories of those who experienced him as a magnetic teacher and a man of deep holiness in times of prayer. 

He had a story to tell and his generosity allowed others to benefit from the telling. A lonely mystic indeed, one who shows us the way. 

Chris McDonnell is a retired headteacher from England and a regular contributor to La Croix International.