Nederlands
English
Father Koos Janssen SMA passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, January 6th. He suddenly became unwell in the presence of his confreres. He was quickly transferred to the university hospital in Maastricht, where he died shortly after arrival. Father Janssen was 84 years old. The funeral can be followed online on Friday, January 14th.
Father Jacobus Nicolaas Maria (Koos) Janssen was born on May 10, 1937, in Poeldijk, South Holland. On July 15, 1962, he joined the Society for African Missions. On December 12 of that year, he was ordained a priest. He would have celebrated his 60th anniversary as a priest at the end of 2022.
After his ordination, Janssen went to Claver House in London to take a course in sociology. In 1964, he was sent to Winneba, Ghana, for a year. From 1965 to 1969, he did promotional work for the Dutch SMA (Senior Secondary Education Association) from Tilburg. Until 1971, he also worked for the administration of the Dutch province and completed additional studies in catechesis at the Catholic University of Leuven.
In 1971, Father Janssen returned to Ghana, this time for a longer stay. He worked in Winneba until 1996, where he held various positions. These included internship coordinator, parish priest, vice-regional superior, and regional superior of the Dutch SMA in Ghana, as well as representative of the Dutch government in Ghana. Between 1990 and 1996, he was superior of the African Foundation for Ghana. In 1996, Father Janssen moved to Accra-Madina, where he served as parish priest until 2002. In his final years in Ghana, he worked in the secretariat of the National Center for Pastoral Care.
Father Koos Janssen returned to the Netherlands in 2007, having been elected vice-provincial of the Dutch SMA. He settled in the Mission House in Cadier en Keer and held this administrative position from there until 2013, when he was appointed superior of the then Dutch SMA district. He remained in this position until his resignation from the board in 2017. From that moment until his sudden death, Janssen was house superior of the Mission House in Cadier en Keer.
The funeral service for Father Koos Janssen will take place on Friday, January 14th, at 2:00 PM in the chapel of the Mission House in Cadier en Keer. He will then be laid to rest in the missionary cemetery there. The funeral will be private, but because many knew Father Koos Janssen and worked with him, the service can be followed online.
