With deep sorrow and gratitude for his blessed life, we say farewell to Father Johan Meijer C.Ss.R., who passed away on July 22, 2024, in Tilburg, Netherlands, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Father Johan was a member of the Redemptorists for over 60 years and served tirelessly in the Province of St. Clement.
Father Johan was born on March 26, 1937, and joined the Redemptorist Congregation on September 8, 1956. He was ordained a priest on April 24, 1962. Since his student days, Father Johan had been fascinated by the Byzantine liturgy. Despite many plans the Dutch Redemptorists had for him, he managed, with the intervention of the Superior General in Rome, to begin his “Oriental work,” as he called it. This led him to Canada, where he studied, and later to a Ukrainian parish in Liège, Belgium.
From 1977 to 1982, Father Johan taught Eastern Orthodox liturgy and sacramental theology at the Tilburg Theological Faculty. Between 1985 and 1998, he worked for the Apostolate for the Eastern Churches in the Netherlands. During this time, he also founded the Byzantine Chapel Community of Saint John of Damascus, initially in Tilburg and later in ’s-Hertogenbosch. In 1999, in recognition of his efforts to bridge the Eastern and Western worlds, Father Johan was appointed Archimandrite of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, an honorary title that celebrated his dedication, particularly during the difficult times of persecution in Ukraine.
On July 22, 2024, Father Johan passed away peacefully at his home in Tilburg after battling his illness for many years. He was laid to rest in the crypt of the Redemptorist monastery in Wittem, Netherlands.
During the funeral service on July 29, 2024, at Saint Catherine’s Church in ’s-Hertogenbosch, Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh praised Father Johan’s significance for the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine. “Father Johan got to know the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine during a time of heavy persecution. As a Redemptorist, he was the voice of our ‘silent church’ in the East and secretly visited our bishops and confreres to maintain the connection with the General Government in Rome.” Father Johan was a beacon of hope for many, especially in Ukraine, acting as a bridge between East and West.
In addition to Father Provincial Jan Hafmans, many Dutch and Ukrainian Redemptorists participated in the funeral, including Father Oleh Zymak from Brussels and Father Ruslan Pikh from Antwerp. In a message of condolence, Bishop Hlib Lonchyna emphasized the Ukrainian Church’s gratitude for Father Johan’s tireless service and dedication to the Ukrainian people.
“For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1:5)
May Father Johan Meijer now find the peace he helped so many people achieve through his selfless service and devotion.