It is with regret that we inform you of the death in the afternoon of Thursday, 16th May 2024, at Oranje Nassau Oord, Wageningen, Netherlands, aged 85 years of,
Father Harry Smithuis
Mill Hill Missionary
May he rest in peace
Fr. Harry Smithuis was born on 29th July 1938 at Hengelo, Utrecht, Netherlands to Bernard Smithuis, who was a civil servant, and Hendrika Oude Vrielink. He had one brother and four sisters. He was baptised right after his birth at St. Lambertus Parish in Hengelo. At the age of 12 years, he joined the diocesan minor seminary in Apeldoorn and continued until he completed one year Philosophy at Utrecht Diocesan Seminary in Dijnselburg. In 1959 he decided to join the missionary training of the Mill Hill Missionaries and completed his second year of Philosophy in Roosendaal. In 1960, he was sent to Mill Hill, London to study Theology and related subjects and to continue his missionary formation. He was accepted as a Perpetual Member on 1st November 1963 at a ceremony held in the chapel of St. Joseph College, Mill Hill. On 29th July 1964 he was ordained a missionary priest by Archbishop (later Cardinal) John Heenan of Westminster.
Following his ordination, Harry took up his missionary appointment to the Prelature of San Jose de Antique in the Philippines where he worked first as a curate in Barbaza mission, then onto Culasi and then – for four years – Hamtik. From July 1969 – recognising the need to help the people organise themselves into Cooperative Unions – he followed a nine-month diploma course on Cooperatives at the Coady International Institute in Nova Scotia, Canada. From there, after a few months home leave, Harry returned to the Philippines where he served for a short time in Patria and San Jose, before being appointed parish priest of Culasi in 1971 – during this time, while building up the school and parish, he got involved in the Happy Family Life Programme. In 1980 he returned to Hamtik and then in 1981 he was appointed to the Cathedral parish of San Jose. In 1987 he was appointed to the Dutch Region and from 1988 to mid-1990 he served as parish priest of the parishes of Harlingen and Franeker. In October 1990 he returned to his beloved Philippines and founded San Lorenzo Ruiz parish in Caingin, La Paz, north of Iloilo city, where he strove, within the urban setting, to bring people together as a dynamic local Christian community – seeing the ‘Church as an event, not a building.’ Harry worked closely with the Mensa Domini Sisters in the parish for the training and faith formation of the young people, parish catechists, and lay leaders. In 2002, after serving around 35 years in the Philippines, he followed a life-giving sabbatical programme in the School of Applied Theology, Berkeley, in the US, before returning to the Netherlands where he assisted for a couple of years as pastor in a cluster of parishes in Albergen before moving to Sint Josefhuis in 2005. While at Sint Josefhuis, Harry continued to be pastorally active by serving as chaplain to Insula Dei Care Home in Arnhem from 2006 to 2018.
In 1987 the General Superior wrote to Harry: “you have done outstanding work and have contributed very substantially to the growth of the Church in Antique”. The same words could be applied to the great missionary work he did in the urban setting of La Paz. During his time in the Philippines, in periods of political upheaval and difficulties, he felt with and for the people in their daily concerns and struggles, and in their hopes and joys – living a Church very much in the vision and spirit of Vatican II. Towards the end of 2023, Harry’s health went downhill rapidly. He was moved to Zilverheuvel (formerly Missiehuis Vrijland) and soon afterwards to the Oranje Nassau Oord nursing home in Wageningen where he died on the 16th day of May. “Well done, good and faithful servant!… Come and share your master’s happiness!” Matthew 25:21
On Wednesday, 22nd May 2024 at 11 o’clock in the morning in St. Jozefhuis, Johannahoeve, 4 Oosterbeek, a Eucharistic Celebration will be offered in thanksgiving for Harry’s life and for his almost 60 years of loving and serving as a Mill Hill missionary priest. His remains will be laid to rest at the Mill Hill Cemetery there. The service will be streamed online and can be followed through this link: https://vimeo.com/event/2882273
