He was born on Februari 4th 1917 in Roelofsarendsveen. He made his religious vows on September 24th 1937 in Ginneken. He was ordained a priest on July 27th 1943 in Valkenburg.
All his life Johan worked in or from the house in Bavel. His motto was: ‘To serve God is anyhow first and foremost to serve people’.
He was editor of the four magazines the congregation published. As a speaker of the Christian Farmers Union in Noord Brabant he gave many talks in the wide neighbourhood. He gave retreats.He was principal of the training of social workers of the Catholic Labour Movement, industrial chaplain in Breda, involved in the sheltered workshop in the diocese of Breda. He was also present at the start of the beach pastoral care in Zeeland. He was part-time pastor in Heijacker, the youth detention centre in Breda, assistant-pastor in the Saint John the Baptist parish and at the same time host in the religious-cultural training centre ‘Nieuwe Ypelaar’.
In 2004 he left the house in Bavel and moved to the Mariahof in Tilburg, where he enjoyed care until his death on July 29th 2008. On August 2nd he was buried on the cemetery of the congregation on the cemetery Zuylen in Breda.
07/29/2008