Students from Germany visit Colégio São Luiz

The group came from the Gymnasium Leoninum, in the village of Handrup, to learn more about the institution and the culture of Brazil.

This October, Colégio São Luiz welcomed exchange students from the Gymnasium Leoninum in Handrup, Germany. The ten students, accompanied by teacher Hannah Marie Fleßner and Father Paulo César Henrique, SCJ, arrived in Brusque on October 4 and until October 11 they experienced a little of the routine at the institution and got to know the region up close.
The exchange is part of a project to bring Dehonian institutions closer together around the world. Earlier this year, a group of students from Colégio São Luiz spent a month immersed in German culture, and now it’s the turn of the Brusquense institution to welcome students from the European country.
Aleyna Gürses; Sophie Markstädter; Anna Ball; Tarja Felschen; Kilian Ruthmann; Antonia Klose; Lina Hammerschmidt; Bastian Giere; Pascal Singer and Robin Mańczyk had their first contact in Brazil with the families of the students who had already been on exchange in Germany in previous years, as well as with the next group that will be leaving in December 2024.
Accompanied by their Art, Music and Biology teacher, Hannah Marie Fleßner, and by Father Paulo César Henrique, SCJ, who has lived in Germany since 2022 and works in the School Pastoral at Handrup College, the students took advantage of the first few days to get to know the region: the central area of Brusque, Nova Trento and Balneário Camboriú.
“The idea was for them to experience what our way of life is like here, in the South of Brazil. They took part in dinners with the families of the students who went to Germany in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and it was very good, mostly because with typical Brazilian food they were able to taste a bit of our culture. They also had this cultural experience by going outdoors, such as when we took them to the beach. There, with chairs, beach umbrellas and their feet in the sand, they were able to see closely how families have fun by the sea here,” says the coordinator of the Bilingual Program, Mariane Werner Zen.

Welcoming
Teacher Hannah Marie points out that exchanges are quite common in Europe, and that Gymnasium Leoninum has been doing them for many years. However, this is the first time that the institution has sent students to Brazil, in a school of the Congregation. “We feel the same Dehonian spirit of open mind and open heart. It’s been an experience of a lifetime and the culture is very different here. Germans are more shy and here people are more open. We knew we would be welcomed, but we didn’t imagine it would be so much and so good.” The German teacher emphasizes that she has already met the students from Colégio São Luiz who will be in Germany in January 2025 and that the institution is preparing a very welcoming reception for the Brazilians as well.
Father Paulo, who lived in Brusque during his time as a seminary student and philosophy graduate, says that the experience the students are having in Brazil is unique. “I’ve been touched a few times already on this trip. I wanted them to experience how welcoming Brazilians are and I’m very happy that they’re seeing another side of life. This is very beautiful. In addition, this contact with the Dehonian missions here in Brazil is also important for them”.

Enchantment by nature and people
The nature of the region and the warm welcoming of the people is what has most caught the attention of the German students during their exchange period at Colégio São Luiz. They are all in Brazil for the first time and are unanimous in emphasizing how happy the people are and how much this experience will be remembered in their lives. Check out what the students say:

Aleyna Gürses, 18 years old
“It feels like everyone knows each other here. I really liked nature and its relationship with the city. Teachers and students seem very close, they have a friendly relationship. There’s a joy of life here”.

Sophie Markstädter, 18 years old
“The architecture of the churches is different from the ones I know. It also struck me how people experience the Church here. We’ve done so much and it’s all been so good”.

Anna Ball, 18 years old
“I’m impressed by how affectionate people are, how much of a sense of community there is. I see how close and affectionate the teachers and students are. There’s a lot of sympathy and positivity, I think everything is wonderful”.

Tarja Felschen, 18 years old
“I thought Brazilians were open and communicative people and they really are. Before I came I thought about the juices, the fruit and the nature here and it really is as I imagined. It’s a joyful place, people are very close to each other”.

Kilian Ruthmann, 18 years old
“I planned the trip, saw lots of photos and my expectations came true. I was impressed by the beauty of Balneário Camboriú. I’ll take with me the open hearts of Brazilians and their warm and affectionate way of being”.

Antonia Klose, 17 years old
“It’s very different from Germany here, it’s very beautiful. The flowers are beautiful, the culture is very different and very beautiful too. The people are very open and affectionate. You can feel a great sense of community”.

Lina Hammerschmidt, 17 years old
“The welcoming was very good, the food very tasty. We went to the beach, which was beautiful. The landscapes, in general, are beautiful. The combination of nature and church is beautiful. I loved the Sanctuary of Saint Paulina. My expectations were far exceeded, especially because of the welcoming. I felt we were very well received”.

Bastian Giere, 18 years old
“I’m very excited by nature and the landscapes, and even more by the people. What we’ve seen in pictures is really the same. We are experiencing a new culture”.

Pascal Singer, 18 years old
“The palm trees are a real eye-catcher, as it is the social warmth and welcoming of people. I understand why people want to go to Germany, but it’s more beautiful here. I think being a student here at Colégio São Luiz is very good. I’ve had family members who were in Brazil in the past, they founded a school in Rio Grande do Sul as missionaries, so there was already this distant contact with the country. My grandparents were here 20 years ago and they still had Brazilian reais in their house, so they gave them to me to bring back and use. It was really nice”.

Robin Manczyk, 18 years old
“It’s a very beautiful country. Completely new nature for me. The food is the best I’ve ever eaten. The people are very friendly, they make you feel like you’re part of the group. I felt the same about the school. I was really looking forward to getting to know Brazil. It was my dream”.