Le Père Maurice Carrier est né le 8 juillet 1920 dans la paroisse Saint-François-Xavier de Chicoutimi, au Québec, Canada. Il est le deuxième d’une famille de 8 enfants. Son père est un ouvrier souvent en chômage. Sa mère avait été orpheline en très bas âge. Elle est très douce de caractère, en comparaison de son père qui est parfois violent. Elle a été longtemps malade de tuberculose, et est morte à 43 ans. Elle était très pieuse, influencée sans doute par plusieurs prêtres dans sa famille.

En 1928, sa famille s’installe à Lévis, près de Québec, pour que le père puisse trouver du travail. C’est là que Maurice fait ses études primaires chez les Frères Maristes. Il va à l’église de sa paroisse presque tous les jours pour servir la messe. Il est régulièrement au patronage paroissial, où les jeunes de son âge se réunissent pour se recréer et pour prier. Déjà à ce moment, il pense devenir Père Blanc d’Afrique, qu’il connaît vaguement par leur revue.

Malheureusement, sa famille est trop pauvre pour lui permettre de continuer des études. Les Sœurs de la paroisse, voyant le sérieux et la piété de ce jeune qui veut devenir prêtre, le confient à l’aumônier du monastère, qui conduit Maurice chez les Pères Blancs pour leur soumettre le cas. C’est le Père Bissonnette, alors Pro-Provincial, qui l’accueille, et accepte de le prendre en charge pour ses études secondaires. En septembre 1934, il commence donc au Collège de Lévis pour les humanités et les 2 années de philosophie. Pendant toutes ses études, il réussit bien, étant toujours parmi les premiers de sa classe.

En septembre 1941, Maurice commence son postulat chez les Pères Blancs à Éverell, près de Québec. L’année suivante, il est au noviciat St-Martin de Laval. Au mois de septembre 1943, il commence ses 4 années de théologie à Eastview, près d’Ottawa. C’est là qu’il prononce son Serment missionnaire le 14 juin 1946. L’année suivante, le 31 mai 1947, il est ordonné prêtre par Mgr Alexandre Vachon, archevêque d’Ottawa, en l’église Notre-Dame de Hull, avec 15 autres confrères.

Durant ses années de formation, Maurice s’est révélé quelqu’un de bien doué, très bien équilibré, un homme de devoir et de conscience. On remarque que les questions trop spéculatives ne l’intéressent pas, mais il aime les choses pratiques et les travaux manuels. Il a fait beaucoup d’effort pour surveiller la vivacité de son caractère, surtout dans les sports. On constate qu’il a un grand talent d’organisation.

Après quelques mois en famille et un stage pastoral à Londres, le Père Carrier arrive au Ghana après un long voyage. Il est nommé dans le Nord Ouest du Ghana, chez les Dagaris. Au début de 1948, il commence à Kaleo dans ce qui était à ce moment le Vicariat apostolique de Navrongo, et qui deviendra, 2 ans plus tard, le diocèse de Tamale. Dans la grande paroisse de Kaleo où il est vicaire, il apprend la langue et s’occupe de l’économat. Il demeure à cet endroit presque trois ans.

À la fin de 1950, on lui demande d’aller fonder la paroisse de Ko puis, peu de temps après, celle de Daffiema. En décembre 1952, l’évêque du diocèse, Mgr Bertrand, lui demande de retourner à Kaleo pour aider à l’école des catéchistes et pour collaborer à la fondation d’une nouvelle congrégation de Frères destinés à s’occuper du matériel dans le diocèse. Il accomplit toutes ces tâches avec un grand dévouement. Les confrères et les Africains l’apprécient beaucoup.

En juillet 1955, Maurice part au Canada pour un congé bien mérité. Sa santé est pas mal atteinte et exige un repos au pays. L’année suivante il est nommé supérieur de la procure de Québec. Il fait bien son travail, mais il ne peut pas donner son plein rendement. Il continue de se reposer et, après 2 ans, comme son évêque le réclame au Ghana, le Père provincial consent à le laisser partir.

En septembre 1958, il est à Mours pour sa grande retraite. Puis il arrive à Tamale où il est nommé professeur au petit séminaire St-Charles, tout en s’occupant de l’économat de la maison et de l’école. Survient alors un changement important. À la fin de 1959, Rome crée le diocèse de Wa, qui comprend la partie Nord Ouest du diocèse de Tamale. C’est Mgr Déry qui en est le nouvel évêque, et il choisit le Père Carrier pour être son économe diocésain, tout en aidant à la paroisse de Wa. Comme il est très ordonné et méthodique, il est un aide important pour son évêque. Il accomplit ce travail jusqu’en 1964, au moment de partir en congé au Canada.

En janvier 1965, Maurice va à Daffiema pour aider les Pères de cet endroit. L’année suivante, il est transféré à Tumu pour être curé de cette nouvelle paroisse située aux limites du diocèse, et couvrant un très large territoire presque pas touché. Il apprend une nouvelle langue et commence un long travail de pré-évangélisation. Tout était à faire. Il prend ses congé régulièrement et demeure dans ce travail jusqu’en 1979. On lui demande alors de préparer la fondation de Funsi, qui prend une partie du territoire de Tumu. Ce sera encore pour lui un travail épuisant.

En 1983, il demande à partir en congé après avoir fait la session de Jérusalem au cours de laquelle il tombe malade, victime d’un grand épuisement et d’une haute tension difficilement contrôlable. Il rentre au Canada pour un repos complet. Il lui faudra 2 ans pour se remettre, et pour que les médecins lui permettent de repartir en Afrique en avril 1985. Il retourne comme vicaire à Funsi, mais en 1990, ce sera un retour définitif au Canada pour cause de maladie.

Au Canada, on lui demande d’aller à la procure de Chicoutimi pour refaire ses forces d’abord, puis pour être économe. En 1996, il est nommé à la procure de Québec comme collaborateur. Il rend encore service selon ses possibilités, mais il n’est plus comme avant, et il sent qu’il a besoin de plus en plus d’encadrement. C’est pour cette raison qu’en 1996, il va à notre maison de retraite de Lennoxville pour recevoir des soins appropriés.

Il va demeurer 5 ans dans cette maison, avec parfois des problèmes graves de santé, et des séjours à l’hôpital. Il devient de plus en plus dépendant, et il vit tout cela avec une grande générosité. Un confrère, qui a partagé avec lui ses dernières années, témoigne ainsi : “Maurice était d’une grande délicatesse envers ses confrères. Il acceptait de rendre de nombreux service selon ses capacités. Il me disait un jour qu’il ne voulait pas être un fardeau pour la communauté. Loin de là, il n’hésitait pas à fournir son aide pour soutenir financièrement des projets communautaires. Sa grande générosité n’avait de mesure que la grandeur de son cœur. Il savait prêcher par l’exemple, et son témoignage de vie simple, avec sa générosité et sa patience dans la souffrance, savaient nous édifier.”

Il est décédé le 22 janvier 2011 à l’hôpital Hôtel-Dieu de Sherbrooke. Les funérailles ont été célébrées le 26 janvier dans la chapelle des Missionnaires d’Afrique de Lennoxville, suivies de l’inhumation au cimetière du même endroit dans le lot des Pères Blancs. Le Père provincial, Julien Cormier, a présidé les funérailles, et le Père Victor Grégoire, qui a vécu avec lui au Ghana, a prononcé l’homélie, en montrant son dévouement en acte, et ses grandes réalisations.

Le jour des funérailles, le Père provincial a reçu un message du Père Francis Bomansaan, alors provincial du Ghana-Nigeria, qui écrit : “Acceptez mes sincères condoléances à l’occasion du décès de notre cher confrère et grand apôtre du Ghana. Il était un homme rempli de zèle pour la mission, avec un grand sens de l’engagement. Nous avons célébré une messe pour lui ce matin…”

Lauréat Belley

Père Jozef de Rooij

1930 - - 2011

Jozef est né à Nuenen le 23 juin 1930. En vue de devenir missionnaire, il a reçu sa formation à Sterksel, à St-Charles près de Boxtel, à ‘s-Heerenberg où il fait son Serment missionnaire le 10 juillet 1958. Il est ordonné à Rotterdam le 2 février 1959. Son frère Théo, lui aussi Missionnaire d’Afrique, est décédé le 4 avril 1985.

Jozef avait l’esprit pratique, un jugement solide avec une inclinaison critique. Il était enclin à voir tout d’abord le côté obscur des choses et savait grommeler délicieusement. Il a travaillé dur, savait prendre des initiatives et a été entièrement consacré à la bonne cause, travaillant avec méthode et avec un œil pour le détail. S’il pouvait parfois paraître un peu pesant, il était toujours prêt à rendre un service.

Il part pour la Tanzanie le 30 septembre 1959, et va à l’archidiocèse de Tabora, dans la paroisse d’Urambo. Il y a là, attirés par l’emploi dans la culture du tabac, de nombreux travailleurs venus de différents groupes linguistiques du pays, qui devaient utiliser la langue nationale Swahili. Jozef apprend la langue et la culture dans des livres, mais principalement par le biais de son contact avec les gens, surtout au cours de safaris de presque une quinzaine de jours dans les églises de villages.

En décembre, il écrit qu’il a déjà fait “plusieurs” de ces longs safaris avec son curé, Toon van den Crommenacker. Le troisième membre de la communauté est un prêtre diocésain tanzanien. Ils desservent 1.500 catholiques et de grands groupes de catéchumènes, également dans la région qui deviendra plus tard la paroisse de Kaliwa et qui s’étend jusqu’à 180 km à l’ouest et à 150 km au sud. Au nord et au sud il n’y a pas beaucoup d’activités.

En octobre 1961, Jozef est nommé directeur de l’apostolat des laïcs dans l’archidiocèse et réside dans la maison de l’archevêque. Il y a certains groupes d’Action catholique dans la ville. Dans plusieurs paroisses, il y a aussi le tiers ordre de St- Francois, et la Légion de Marie vient d’être lancée. L’archevêque souhaite que Jozef démarre un groupe de la Légion dans chaque paroisse.

Le 24 janvier 1967, Jozef est nommé curé de la paroisse de Ndala, une grande paroisse avec l’hôpital diocésain (150 lits) et le Centre de formation des catéchistes. Il y vivra et travaillera pendant 15 ans. Dans ses lettres, il répète toujours la même phrase : “Ici, à Ndala, tout va à souhait”. En raison de la proximité de l’hôpital, des confrères malades viennent régulièrement loger au presbytère, et certains confrères âgés vivent dans la communauté. Jozef leur donne beaucoup de temps et d’attention. En 1975, il représente les confrères au Conseil du diocèse et aussi au Conseil régional.

En 1981, on lui propose de devenir le successeur de Theo Sanders comme directeur de notre maison pour confrères âgés à St-Charles près de Boxtel. Il répond le 25 mars 1981: “J’ai toujours été très heureux ici à Tabora/Ndala. Le travail me convient et je me sens chez moi en Tanzanie.” Le 14 novembre 1981, il ajoute: “C‘est très difficile de lâcher progressivement Ndala, le travail et le peuple. Ce furent des années splendides.”

Il arrive en Hollande le 19 avril 1982 et, le 2 octobre, il commence à travailler à St-Charles. Il est supérieur de la maison, directeur de la section pour les personnes âgées et recteur de la petite paroisse qui utilise la grande chapelle de St-Charles. En outre, Jozef visite les confrères malades et âgés dans le pays. Tous sont impressionnés par ses soins et sa sollicitude. Il devient membre du Conseil provincial le 1er janvier 1983 et premier conseiller le 22 décembre 1988.

Comme l‘autoroute en face de la maison doit être agrandie et passera bien trop près de la maison de Boxtel, celle-ci doit être vendue. Le 15 septembre 1987, toute la communauté s’installe à Heythuysen qui reçoit le nom de St-Charles. La tâche de Jozef pendant cette période est de préparer les personnes âgées pour ce déménagement et de les aider à s’établir dans leur nouvelle maison située dans un environnement peu familier. En octobre 1989, il est très fatigué. Pendant quelques semaines, il jouit de l’hospitalité des Sœurs de Charles Borromée dans leur Maison généralice à Maastricht. Les Sœurs connaissent bien Ndala où elles tiennent l’hôpital.

Le 3 février 1991, Jozef écrit : “J’ai aimé travailler dans l’ancien et le nouveau Saint-Charles. Mon intérêt pour Afrique et pour les Pères Blancs demeure, mais j’ai opté pour un travail pastoral en Hollande”. Le 1er juin, il est nommé curé de la paroisse Saint-Lambert à Haelen dans le diocèse de Roermond. Haelen avoisine Heythuysen et donc les Pères Blancs. Elle compte environ 4.000 catholiques. Jozef y vivra et travaillera pendant 16 ans. Après deux années et demie, le Conseil de la paroisse témoigne : “La communauté paroissiale est extrêmement heureuse qu’un tel superman continue son travail bénéfique dans notre paroisse”. Jozef lui-même disait à cette occasion : “Je fais ce que je peux, bien que je ne puisse pas toujours faire ce que je souhaite, mais je suis là avec toute mon amitié et ma coopération. Aussi, vivre et travailler à Haelen est une fête pour moi”.

Dans son approche pastorale, il a la même orientation qu’en Tanzanie: “Je vise à créer une bonne ambiance, dans laquelle les personnes peuvent être chaleureuses les unes envers les autres. Ce qui importe, c’est que les gens sentent qu’on s’occupe d’eux”. Et : “La célébration des sacrements ne devrait pas être une affaire impersonnelle avec des mots vides de sens. Les désirs actuels et les besoins de la population devraient trouver une expression dans les sacrements.” Les paroissiens caractérisent Jozef comme étant un homme sans prétention, amical, prêt à écouter et à encourager, un homme du peuple.

Au début de juin 2007, il célèbre le jubilé de son ordination et prend sa retraite le 23 du même mois. C’est juste au moment où l’on décide de démolir la plus grande partie de l’ancien St-Charles afin de construire un nouveau bâtiment. Comme il a aimé vivre pendant 4 ans dans l’ancienne maison, il ne veut pas assister à sa démolition et s’installe ailleurs à Heythuysen, dans une maison de repos. Au cours de 2010, il commence à avoir des difficultés à marcher. Il est hospitalisé pendant quelque temps. À son retour à la maison, il meurt paisiblement le 3 février 2011.

Jozef avait exprimé le souhait d’être enterré comme curé de Haelen. Le service dans l’église paroissiale, le 8 février 2011, est dirigé par le curé actuel de la paroisse, par notre délégué, Jan Mol, par un des vicaires représentant l’évêque, par le doyen rural et par un prêtre ami d’Amsterdam. Les premiers bancs sont réservés, d’un côté pour la famille, de l’autre pour un bon nombre de Pères Blancs et de Sœurs Blanches et de quelques Sœurs de Charles Borromée qui ont travaillé à Ndala.

De nombreux paroissiens participent à la célébration, parmi lesquels le maire et un conseiller municipal. La sœur de Jozef présente une image chaleureuse de la façon dont la famille se souvient de lui. Dans la brochure pour la liturgie, on a imprimé une douzaine de photos, dont trois prises à Ndala. À la fin du service, les Pères blancs et les Sœurs Blanches chantent le Sancta Maria. Nous accompagnons ensuite Jozef au cimetière de la paroisse.

“Celui qui est envoyé par Dieu profère les paroles de Dieu”, Jn 3, 34

Marien van den Eijnden

PROFILES

Father Frits Pennings

1922 - - 2011

Frits was born at Goes on the 26th September 1922. For 5 years, he was in the diocesan minor seminary of Haarlem. In view of becoming a Missionary, he received his further Formation in Sterksel (with a 2½ year interruption due to TB), St. Charles near Boxtel, ’s-Heerenberg, where he took his Missionary Oath on the 25th of July 1952, and Monteviot, Scotland, where he was ordained in Galashiels on the 11th June 1953.

In September 1953, he left for Katibunga Parish, Mbala Dioce­se, Zambia. He learned the culture and language there and started his pastoral work. From January the following year, he was also put in charge of the dispensary, and made bursar of the community. Initially, he made his pastoral visits to the church villages by bicycle and on foot. He described a Sunday programme as: 5.45-9.30 hearing confessions, followed by the Eucharist, then a meeting with the Catholic Action which had just been launched, followed by some Baptisms, and then still some talks with people who sought his advice. In other parts of the parish, it was still basic primary evangelisation. He wrote that the local catechists were doing a marvellous job.

What complicated the work was that in that area, whole villages would move almost every 5 years. Moreover, it was the time of the rise of the Lenshina Movement. In his parish, the Catholics of some eight villages had defected to the Movement. They were obstructing the Catholic Church, but without feelings of animosity. Frits kept trying to make and maintain contact with their adepts. After talking with them, he always invited them to end in praying together.

When seeing that some would make the Sign of the Cross, he would remark: ‘I see that there are Catholics among you.’ Gradually, some would return to the Church community. Towards the end of 1954, Frits wrote, ‘I am all right here. I am very happy.’ His Regional Superior wrote that he was really pulling his weight.

In August 1956, he moved to Serenje, where he lived and worked for 22 years. His Bishop called it a ‘very difficult mission’ with many Jehovah Witnesses and Protestants. Moreover, they did have schools, while the Catholics at that time had not. Frits wrote that on Sundays, only a few Catholics would participate in the Eucharist. He called it a ‘pioneer mission’ with evangelisation work for 4 priests, and building work for a Brother, while at that time they were only two: he and a German confrere10 years older.

In March 1963, his Regional Superior wrote that Frits ‘is doing well; a good organiser; good relations with the population; cheerful; pleasant in community. He is limited by not yet knowing the Bemba language well, but he is compensating for that by his friendliness, and the people love him. He also has some trouble expressing himself clearly.’

In October 1979, he moved to Chilonga, an extended parish; the farthest church village was 150 km over a road which is not always good, particularly the last 6 km. He enjoyed the parish, but he and the one in charge were rather different personalities. He related well to the population, and the two communities of Sisters appreciated his gentleness and friendliness.

In March 1982, he had to go to Holland due to a liver disorder, a type of hepatitis. After a good leave, he was able to return in October. That year, he was knighted in the Netherlands Order of Orange Nassau.
In March 1984, he moved to Ilondola for pastoral work in a rather small and well-organised parish. The Parish Centre and the Language School shared the plot, and as the activities of the two overlapped, sometimes some tension developed. This weighed heavily on Frits, who was characterised by the Regional Superior as ‘A duty-loving missionary; very sensitive for good relations both in the community as with the population.’

In September 1986, he moved to Mulilansolo. He was 64, and it was with the intention that he would take things a little more quietly. However, in 1988, three of his confreres fell ill, and one after another had to be repatriated for further treatment.

For two years, Frits had to cope practically alone. His Regional Superior wrote with gratitude for the manner he handled the situation. He ‘succeeded in keeping a cool head, and in a sensible manner doing what he could.’

In March 1990, he returned to Holland for good. He went to stay at Heythuysen and rendered a great service as a driver, taking confreres to hospital. For appointments, one could make plans beforehand, but in cases of illness it would come unexpectedly during the day and even during the night. When Gerard Smulders left Heythuysen as Superior, Frits was asked to take over temporarily until the new Superior would arrive.

Both his confreres and the staff thought him a kind man with a gentle aura, ever friendly and warm-hearted. They enjoyed his typical, quick-witted hu­mour. In the chapel, he looked after the liturgical music as long as he could, selecting the hymns and playing the organ. In his room, he had a small organ. He never complained; he was a nature-lover and enjoyed the company of his confreres; he himself was good company too.

In the course of 2010, his health gradually deteriorated; at table, the confreres made sure that he ate well and enough; the staff took perfect care of him. He died peacefully in the early morning of the 11th February 2011.

Accompanied by his relatives, we laid Frits to rest in our cemetery at Heythuysen on the 16th February 2011. Delegate Jan Mol officiated at the ceremonies and emphasised that Frits was ever on the way with people; and not only preached the Good News, he was good news for them and for us.

A niece spoke at the end of the Eucharist and recalled how during home leaves Frits would speak so enthusiastically about Zambia that they would be captivated. When later they would visit him at Heythuysen, Frits would insist that they bring a particular delicacy from ’s Hertogenbosch, a pastry filled with whipped cream! A former classmate recalled some memories from their time at Monteviot.
In the course of the years, Frits mentioned in his letters a couple of times the local saying, ‘Katwishi, mukwai; cili fye”, meaning, ‘I don’t know, my friend; I suppose it’s all right.’
For Frits it meant, ‘Let it be as you, not I, would have it.’ Mt. 26:39.

Marien van den Eijnden

Father Raymond Beaudet

1916 - - 2011

Father Raymond Beaudet was born on the 18th May at Saint-Apollinaire in the Archdiocese of Quebec. He was one a family of eight children. His father was a doctor and practiced at Charle­bourg in the suburbs of Quebec. Raymond began his primary schooling there with the Marist Brothers, continuing them in the St. Louis de Gonzaga boarding school at Quebec. He did his secondary studies at Quebec Seminary. He went to Saint Dunstan’s College, Charlotte­town, in the Province of Prince Edward Island for his two years of philosophy.

In September 1937, Father Beaudet began his postulancy and first year of theology with the White Fathers at Everell, near Quebec. He went to the novitiate at St-Martin de Laval the following year. For his three years of theology, he went to the Scholasticate at Eastview. He took his Missionary Oath there on the 6th June 1941. He was ordained a priest on the 30th May 1942 by Archbishop Vachon of Ottawa in his cathedral. At this stage of his missionary life, he was seen as a confrere gifted with average intelligence from the speculative side, but with good practical and skilful common sense. He had a great aptitude for languages. He enjoyed good health and liked sports and physical exercise. He had a sensitive and refined, impressionable nature. He was pleasant in community and was able to put up with being teased. He proved to be persevering in his training. All these qualities would prove themselves later in his active life.

At the end of his scholasticate, he took some time off in family and then in September 1942, he began a year of studies in education at Toronto. The following year, he arrived in Tanganyika, where he was appointed to the Diocese of Tabora. He then began his long career as a teacher.

He was firstly a teacher at St. Mary’s Secondary School at Tabora. In 1953, he became its Headmaster, a post he would occupy until 1963. He took his work seriously and diligently. However, it was hard for him to be lenient in his assessments of the pupils. As he was a good musician, he took charge of the school band, acquiring better instruments for it and leading it to great successes. His health was good, but he often felt tired due to overwork. He always wanted to do more and improve on it. For example, in 1953, he took advantage of his home leave to do his Long Retreat, to rest, but also to perfect his teaching of science by attending a few months of courses at London University.

In 1963, after a short leave, he was asked to change schools and become Rector of the Junior Seminary at Itaga, still in the Diocese of Tabora. He did so with a great deal of thoroughness until 1970, taking more frequent leave in order to rest, as he tired more easily.

After this, he was to change direction. His experiences in parishes had not brought him much satisfaction. In early 1971, he moved to Dar-es-Salaam temporarily in charge of the White Father community, but principally to begin a long service towards the sick in the town hospitals. He was to devote himself to them for over thirty years. At one point he was obliged to become secretary to the Pro-Nuncio Apostolic, but it was only for a short time, as he did not feel at ease in this task. In 1978, he was asked to become chaplain to Bigwa Secondary School for Girls at Morogoro.

After a while, he asked to be replaced, as it was difficult for him to adapt to the running of the School. He came back once again to his ministry towards the sick. He sought to help them spiritually, but also sometimes materially and financially. Even now, doctors and the caring personnel of that time remember him in the hospitals he served. They continue to express their appreciation for him, according to our confrere Father Paul-Émile Leduc, who succeeded him in this service at Dar-es-Salaam.

For the many years of his time in Tanzania, Father Beaudet was a discreet confrere, a charming conversationalist, a born educator and a man who was to leave his mark. Those who crossed his path were fortunate and they cherish fond memories of him. He even taught alongside Julius Nyerere, who, when President of Tanzania, liked to greet him in public to show his great friendship towards him.

The long-term sick were indeed fortunate as he accompanied these poorest of the poor with faith, tenderness and discretion. He was a man of regularity, prayer and rectitude, in spite of the problems he experienced and that could have destroyed him. He experienced all of this in a spirit of total gift to the African world he so loved.

After much agonising and consultation, he took a home leave in Canada in 2003 and decided not to return to Tanzania again. He asked to stay at the Procure at Quebec to live through this difficult transition. He was to do so with great wisdom. Father Jean-Marie Béli­veau, Superior of the house at Quebec, appreciated his presence in community during these final years. ‘He was a man content in the simplicity of his life, independent and discreet. He was very faithful to community and personal prayer, taking a walk every day.

He wanted to remain in community in spite of his advancing age and it was possible, as he was not at all dependent. Despite his age, he was never ill, no doctor and no medicine. He died alone in his room and we all deplore this. He did not want to disturb anyone and to leave us quietly...’

Raymond therefore passed away at our Quebec house on the 8th January 2011. His body lay in state at the funeral parlour on the Avenue des Érables, and the funeral took place on the 13th January 2011 at the church of the Saints-Martyrs-Canadiens. Burial took place at Belmont Cemetery at Quebec, in the plot reserved for Missionaries of Africa.

Father Jacques Bédard officiated at the Funeral Mass and Father Laurent Côté gave the homily. He brought out Ray­mond’s major achievements throughout his missionary life and invited those attending to follow him on the pathway of faith to enter one day with him into life without end.

Lauréat Belley

Brother Paul Comtois

1929 - - 2011

Brother Paul Comtois was born on the 24th May 1924 in the parish of Ste-Thérèse d’Avila, Sher­brooke, in the diocese of the same name, in Quebec. He was one of a family of 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. It was a good, close-knit and exemplary Christian family. His father was a commercial traveller. His mother passed away the year before his entry into the White Fathers; his father only a few years later.

He did his primary schooling at Ste-Thérèse d’Avila School at Sherbrooke and continued them at St. Charles Seminary, Sher­brooke, until the 9th year. At this point, he took the decision to enter the Missionaries of Africa as a Brother Coadjutor. The Superior of the seminary introduced him to the White Fathers thus: ‘I am pleased to recommend Paul Comtois, one of our pupils, who desires to join you. He has been our pupil for at least three years and we can only rejoice in his good character, his application to work and his piety. As for me, I did not hesitate to direct him towards the Missions, and advised him to refer to the White Fathers.’

He entered the postulancy of the Missionaries of Africa at Éverell, near Quebec in early 1946. After 6 months there, he began his novitiate in September of the same year at St. Martin, near Montreal. He then took the name of Brother Raoul. After 2 years of novitiate, he asked to be admitted to his First Oath of one year, which he took on the 31st July 1948. He was to remain at St. Martin taking his Oath of one year, devoting himself to almost all the jobs, particularly the laundry and various tasks on the farm. He also helped in the training of the younger members. In July 1951, he took his 3-year Oath and continued in a more specialised training.

At St. Martin, he was often in charge of the farm. He also lived at the Procure at St. Hubert at Montreal to follow technical courses in masonry, welding, mechanics and carpentry. He attended the Brothers’ Professional Development Centre at Franklin in the USA. His superiors reckoned he had good will, was talented and worked well. His piety was solid, which sustained him in his often tricky and difficult tasks. On occasion, he was reproached for being too conscious of his authority and sometimes too strict with the youngsters in training. However, he soon corrected himself. He was therefore admitted to the Perpetual Oath on the 31st July 1954 and was thus ready to leave for the Mission.

In December 1954, Brother Raoul arrived in Tanzania, appointed to the Archdiocese of Tabora. He was to work 35 years in this diocese, most notably in building. It would be too much to enumerate all that he achieved and the places he worked in this diocese. He had about a hundred building sites that he ran well in about twenty locations. At the beginning, he lived in a few parishes to carry out the works.

From 1960, he made his pied-à-terre at the Archdiocesan offices at Tabora. He put up many buildings, including a massive carpentry shop of which he was in charge and that served for the whole diocese. He often had several sites going at the same time in different locations, under foremen he had trained. He visited them regularly. He was therefore called upon to be frequently on the go. He took an active part in the building of colleges, teacher training centres, houses, convents, churches, presbyteries, hospitals, etc. This work fulfilled his potential in spite of the many difficulties he encountered. For him, as he stated, he built for the development of the diocese, for the Church. He felt an integral part of the building up of the Kingdom. He never regretted his missionary vocation and felt fulfilled by his work in Africa.

Raoul took regular home leaves, as he was often in need of restoring his strength. Sometimes, he had to prolong them for greater rest. In 1961, he had an accident when he fell from a height and hurt his back. After some days in the hospital at Tabora, the doctors advised him to return to Canada for an operation. The surgery succeeded as well as the convalescence, so that the following year he was thinking of returning to Africa, as he felt he was needed.

Here is how the Vicar General of the diocese of Tabora expressed it in writing to the Father Provincial in May 1962, calling for his return: ‘You promised Brother Raoul that he could soon return here. This is wonderful, as we need him. We are not waiting for him so much to do the major work himself, as we have workers for that; it is to get the workers on the job, which is more difficult. Here in Tabora, we had the advantage of an excellent team of Brothers over the last few years, working together and thus doing a great deal of work, which would not have been done otherwise. Now, since Brother Raoul was the soul and leader of this team, things have slowed down since his departure. Without him, we would really be in trouble in the future. There are major works that we can only entrust to an experienced and courageous man like Brother Raoul.’

He returned to Tabora in late 1962. He tried to take it easy, but with the years, his abilities lessened and he often had to rest. When he was on home leave and had to prolong it due to illness, he was miserable thinking about the work he had to do in Africa. When he was at work, he could feel it was no longer as before. He was more often in the care of the doctors in Tabora.

In 1992, he stopped working due to major illness and the doctor advised him to return to Canada for a good rest and thorough check-up. Once back in Canada after a few months, Paul became aware that he had severe health problems and reckoned it would be hard to resume work in Tabora. With much sorrow, he asked to remain in Canada. He was then appointed to our house at Lennox­ville as a collaborator. Later, when his health improved, he was to take up the service of Life Annuities and continue to help the confreres, within the limits of his abilities.

In 2007, he finally retired for health reasons. His condition was to deteriorate rapidly, to the point that it was no longer possible to keep him in our house, as he required specialised care. In September 2008, he was admitted to the St. Vincent de Paul Centre for Long Term Care (CHSLD). He was to remain there until the end, receiving regular visits from his family and his confreres. He passed away on the 11th January 2011.

His body was laid in state at our house in Lennoxville for a funeral wake. The funeral services took place on the 15th January in the chapel at the same place in the presence of his family members and of his confreres. Burial followed in the cemetery of St. Antoine, Lennoxville, in the White Fathers’ plot.

Father Jean-Claude Pageau officiated at the funeral and the homily was given by Father Gabriel de Lorimier, whom he knew in Tabora. He spoke of the many achievements of Brother Comtois, and how he was appreciated by all those with whom he worked in Africa.

Dear Raoul, receive the reward promised to the faithful servants of the Kingdom that you served so well.

Lauréat Belley

Father Maurice Carrier

1920 - - 2011

Father Maurice Carrier was born on the 8th July 1920 in the parish of Saint-François-Xavier, Chicou­timi, in the diocese of the same name, in Quebec. He was the second in a family of 8 children. His father was a worker who was often unemployed. His mother had been an orphan at a very tender age; she had a very gentle disposition in comparison to his father who was sometimes violent. His mother had been ill a long time from tuberculosis and passed away at the age of 43. She had been very devout; no doubt an influence of the many priests in her family.

In 1928, Maurice’s family moved to Lévis near Québec so that his father could find work. This is where Maurice did his primary schooling with the Marist Brothers. He served Mass almost every day in his parish. He regularly attended the parish youth club, where young people of his age gathered to play games and to pray. Even as early as this, he was thinking of becoming a White Father of Africa, a Society he knew vaguely through its magazine. Unhappily, his family was too poor to allow him to continue his studies.

The Sisters at the parish, seeing the set purpose and piety of this young man wishing to become a priest entrusted him to the Sister almoner of their convent who brought Maurice to the White Fathers to plead his case. Father Bissonnette, the Pro-Provincial at that time, received him and agreed to pay the fees for his secondary studies. In September 1934, he therefore began his studies and two years of philosophy at Lévis College. He succeeded well in all his studies and was always among the first in his class.

In September 1941, Maurice began his postulancy with the White Fathers at Éverell near Québec. The following year, he went to the St-Martin novitiate at Laval. He began his 4 years of theology in September 1943 at Eastview near Ottawa. He took his Missionary Oath there on the 14th June 1946 and was ordained a priest the following year, on the 31st May 1947, by Archbishop Alexandre Vachon of Ottawa in the church of Notre-Dame at Hull, with 15 other confreres. During his years of training, he showed himself to be gifted, very well-balanced, a man of duty and conscientious. It was noticed that overly speculative matters were not his forte, but he preferred practical things and manual work. He made strenuous efforts to keep watch over the exuberance of his character, especially in sports. He was noted for his great talent for organisation.

After some months in his family and a pastoral course in London, Father Carrier arrived in Ghana after a long voyage. He was appointed to North West Ghana, among the Dagari. In early 1948, he began at Kaleo in what was then the Vicariate Apostolic of Navrongo, and which two years later was to become the Diocese of Tamale. He learned the language in this extensive parish of Kaleo, became the bursar and was a curate. He remained there for almost 3 years and at the end of 1950 he was asked to found the parish of Ko, then, a short time afterwards, the parish of Daf­fiema.

In December 1952 Bishop Bertrand of the diocese asked him to go to Kaleo to help in the school for catechists and to collaborate in the foundation of a new Congregation of Brothers intended to look after the material assets in the diocese. He carried out all these tasks with great dedication. The confreres and Africans greatly appreciated him.

In July 1955, Maurice left for a well-deserved home leave in Canada. His health was damaged and he required rest at home. The following year, he was made Superior of the Procure at Quebec. He did his work well, but he could not give of his utmost. He continued to rest and after 2 years, since his Bishop was asking for him in Ghana, the Father Provincial consented to his departure.

In September 1958, Maurice went to Mours for his Long Retreat. He then arrived back in Tamale where he was appointed to teach at St. Charles Junior Seminary while bursar of the house and the school. Then a significant change occurred. At the end of 1959, Rome created the Diocese of Wa, taking in part of the North West of the Diocese of Tamale. Bishop Dery was the new Ordinary and chose Father Carrier to be his Diocesan Treasurer, while helping out in the parish at Wa. Since he was very organised and methodical, he was an important help for his Bishop. He carried out this task until 1964, when he left for home leave in Canada.

In January 1965, Maurice went to Daffiema to help out the Fathers there. The following year, he was transferred to Tumu to be the parish priest of this new parish situated in the depth of the diocese and covering a very extensive, practically virgin territory. He learned another language and began the long-term task of pre-evangelisation. There was everything to be done. He took his home leaves regularly and remained in this task until 1979. He was then asked to prepare the foundation of Funsi, which took in part of the territory of Tumu. This would again be an exhausting undertaking for him.

In 1983, he asked for home leave, firstly doing the Jeru­salem Session. There he fell ill, victim to major exhaustion and high blood pressure that was hard to control. He returned to Canada and complete rest. He took two years to recover and to be sure the doctors would let him leave in April 1985. He returned as curate at Funsi, but in 1990, he returned to Canada for good due to ill-health.

In Canada, he was asked to go to the Procure at Chicoutimi, firstly to restore his strength then to become the bursar. In 1996, he was appointed to the Procure at Quebec as collaborator. He again was able to be of service according to his abilities, but he was not as before, and he increasingly felt the need for extra support. For this reason, he was sent to our retirement community at Lennox­ville to receive proper treatment.

He was to spend 5 years in this house, sometimes with serious health problems and time in hospital. He became increasingly dependent and lived all this with great generosity. A confrere who shared with him his final years paid this tribute: ‘Maurice was very discreet towards his confrere and agreed to be of service according to his abilities. He told me one day that he did not want to be a burden on the community. Far from it, he did not hesitate to provide his help to support community projects financially. His generosity was without measure, just like his loving heart. He liked preaching by example and his example of a simple life, with his generosity and patience in suffering was edifying for us all.

He died on the 22nd January 2011 at the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, Sherbrooke. The funeral took place on the 26th January in the chapel of the Missionaries of Africa at Lennoxville, followed by burial at the cemetery in the same place, in the plot reserved for the White Fathers. Julien Cormier, the Father Provincial, officiated at the ceremony and Father Victor Grégoire, who had lived with Maurice in Ghana, gave the homily, highlighting Maurice’s dedication in action and his major achievements.

On the day of the funeral the Father Provincial received a message from Father Francis Bomansaan, a Ghanaian Missionary of Africa and Provincial of Ghana. ‘Accept my sincere condolences on the death of our dear confrere and great apostle of Ghana. He was a man filled with zeal for the Mission, with a great sense of commitment. We celebrated Mass for him this morning.’

Lauréat Belley

 

Father Jozef de Rooij

1930 - - 2011

Jozef was born at Nuenen on the 23rd of June 1930. In view of becoming a missionary, he received his Formation in Sterksel, St. Charles near Boxtel, ‘s-Heerenberg where he took his Missionary Oath on the 10th of July 1958, and Totteridge. He was ordained in Rotterdam on the 2nd of February 1959. His brother and our confrere Theo died on the 4th of April 1985.

Jozef had a practical mind, a sound judgement with a critical slant; he was inclined to see first the dark side, and could delightfully grumble. He worked hard, knew when to take initiatives, and was fully dedicated to a good cause, going about things with method and with an eye for detail. He could appear ponderous. He was ever ready to render a service.

He left for Tanzania on the 30th September 1959, and was appointed to the parish of Urambo in the Archdiocese of Tabora. Drawn by employment in tobacco growing, many labourers came from different language groups of the country and had to speak Swahili, the national language. Jozef learned the language and culture from books, but mainly through his contact with the people, especially during safaris of almost a fortnight among the church villages. He wrote in December that he had already made ‘several’ of those long safaris together with his parish priest Toon van den Crommenacker.

The third member of the community was a Tanzanian diocesan priest. They ministered to 1,500 Catholics and large groups of catechumens. This also extended to the area that would later become the parish of Kaliua, up to 180 km to the West and 150 km to the South; to the North and to the South there was not much.

In October 1961, he was appointed Director of the Lay Apostolate in the Archdiocese, living in the house of the Archbishop. There were some Catholic Action groups in the town; in several parishes there was the Third Order of St. Francis, and they had just launched the Legion of Mary. The Archbishop urged Jozef to start up a couple of groups of the Legion in each parish. In November, the first two Ladies of the Grail arrived for social work in the town.

On the 24th January 1967 he was appointed parish priest of Ndala, a large parish with a diocesan hospital (150 beds) and the Catechists’ Training Centre. In the course of the 15 years Jozef lived and worked there, he did not write about his ministry. In the letters he did write, there was always the line, ‘Here in Ndala everything is as desired.’ Because of the hospital, sick confreres regularly stayed at the presbytery, and some elderly ones lived in the community. Jozef gave a lot of his time and attention to them. In 1975, he was elected the Diocesan Counsellor for the confreres and member of the Regional Council for Tanzania.

In 1981, he was sounded out about becoming the successor to Theo Sanders as Director of St. Charles near Boxtel, the home for our retired confreres. He answered on the 25th March1981: ‘I have always been very happy indeed here in Tabora/Ndala; the work agreed with me, and I feel perfectly at home here in Tanzania.’ On the 14th November 1981, he added, ‘It is quite hard for me to gradually detach from Ndala, the work and the people. These were splendid years.’

He arrived in Holland the 19th April 1982 and on the 2nd of October he started work in St. Charles. His task was to be the Superior of the house and Director of the section for the elderly, Rector of the small parish which used the large chapel of St. Charles, host for the regular Provincial gatherings of the White Fathers, and to visit the sick and elderly confreres in the country. All were impressed by his care and concern. He became a member of the Provincial Council on the 1st January1983, and First Council­lor on the 22nd December 1988.

The motorway in front of the house had to be enlarged and would come really too close to it; hence, it had to be sold and the whole community moved on the 15th September 1987 to Heythuysen, which then got the name of St. Charles. Jozef’s task at that time was to prepare the elderly for the move and to help them get settled in creating a new home in unfamiliar surroundings.

In October 1989, he became overtired. For some weeks, he enjoyed the hospitality of the Sisters of Charles Borromeo in their Generalate in Maastricht; he knew them from Ndala, as they run the hospital there.

On the 3rd February 1991 he wrote, ‘I have enjoyed working both in the old and in the new St. Charles. (…) My interest in Africa and in the White Fathers remains, and yet I have opted to do parish work in Holland.’ He handed over to his successor on the 1st April 1981, and on the first of June was appointed parish priest of St. Lambert parish in Haelen, Diocese of Roermond. It borders on Heythuysen, thus, close to the White Fathers, and has about 4,000 Catholics. He lived and worked there for 16 years.

After 12½ years, the parish council wrote: ‘The whole parish community is extremely happy that such a superman continues his beneficial work in our parish.’ On that occasion, Jozef said, ‘I do what I can, but I cannot always do what I wish, and then you are there with your friendship and your cooperation in so many different ways. That makes living and working in Haelen a feast for me.’ In his pastoral approach, he had the same orientation as in Tanzania. ‘I aim to create a good atmosphere, in which people can be warm-hearted to one another. What matters is that people feel that you care for them.’

In addition, he wrote, ‘Celebrating sacraments ought not to be impersonal stories with meaningless words. The current longings and needs of the people ought to find expression in them.’ The parishioners characterised him as unpretentious, friendly, listening and encouraging, a man of the people (a man’s man).

At the beginning of June 2007, he celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his ordination and retired on the 23rd. Just then, it had been decided that in order to build a new St.Charles, the greater part of the old one had to be demolished. As he had enjoyed living and working there for 4 years as Superior, he did not like to witness the demolition and rented a retirement flat elsewhere in Heythuysen. In the course of 2010, he had trouble walking. He was hospitalised for it, but soon returned home where he died peacefully on the 3rd February 2011.

Jozef had expressed the wish to be buried as the parish priest of Haelen. The service in the parish church on the 8th February 2011 was led by the current parish priest and our Delegate Jan Mol for the Society. One of the Vicars Episcopal represented the Bishop, accompanied by the Rural Dean, and a priest friend from Amsterdam.

The front pews were reserved on the one side for the family, on the other for us, a good number of White Fathers and White Sisters, and some Sisters of Charles Borromeo who had worked in Ndala. Many parishioners attended, among whom the Mayor and an Alderman. His sister drew a warm picture of how the family remembers him. In the booklet for the liturgy, they had printed a dozen pictures, three of which were taken in Ndala. At the end of the service, the White Fathers and White Sisters sang the Sancta Maria. We accompanied him to the parish cemetery.

‘He whom God has sent utters the words of God’, John 3:34

Marien van den Eijnden