Fr Frans Cruijsberg SVD
Born:8-6-1939 in the hospital in Horst in the Province Limburg-Netherlands
-Kindergarden for several years in Tienray-Limburg-NLD
-Elementary school in Tienray-Limburg-NLD
-Primary school in Swolgen-Limburg till grade 7
-Secondary school in the SVD Missiehouse in Teteringen and then in Deurne till 1959
-Noviciate and philospophy in Heide-Belgium 1959 till 1961
-Theology etc in Teteringen and later on in Tilburg.-NLD
-First vows: 8-9-1961 in Teteringen-NLD
-Final vows in 8-9-1965 in Teteringen
-Ordained priest 3-7-1966 in Teteringen
-First Mass at home 10-6-1966 in Tienray.-NLD
-Left for Australia November 3,1966 for updating English with the Christian Brothers in -Chatswood NSW.and also in Sydney and Melbourne, Geelong and Ballarat(digging gold) AUS
-Arrived in New Guinea in April 1,1967 -PNG
-Learning Pidgin-English in Alexishafen in Madang Archdiocese and also horse-riding and first trip to Halopa with Fr Kees van de Geest svd and learned making stencils and print in Bro Venandtius workshop
-May 4,1967 appointed as assistant To Banara-parish in the Madang-Archdioce Parishpriest was old Fr William Schorr.
-Attended first M.I course in Vunapope Nov 1969-till February 1970 Did my Christmas pastoral experience in the Malmal-Pomio-parish..
- Was appointed by Archbishop A Noser to the Catechetical Training Centre in Maiwara in the madang Archdiocese,where Fr Aloys Klijn was the general director.At that time Fr Theo Tersteeg was helping out too and later on Fr William Valkxs came too.
-in 1972 I went for my first home leave-NLD
-In 1972 I was appointed as parish-priest to Josephstaal in Madang Arvchdiocese, in the big bush of Middle Ramu
- In 1975 I went on emergency leave coz my Father was very ill. NLD
- continuation as pp in Josephstaal in Madang Archdiocese.PNG
-in 1978 or 1979 I went for home leave again.NLD
-continuation in Josephtaal in the madang Archdiocese.PNG
-1983 went on home leave and when I came back Archbishop Leo Arkfeld appointed me as parish priest in Ramu Sugar-factory town in Gusap in the Madang Archdiocese..In those days I had more contact with Lae and also with the Marianhill Fathers and Brothers..In that time the present church and parish-house were build,
- In 1985 we came back from Alexishafen and the pastoral seminarian at that time and now Fr Joseph Yakawa was driving and in the mountains between Madang and Usino he missied a corner and we ended up 200 m down the mountains. I eventually woke up in Madang hospital.In the process of recuperation I went to Australia for physical and also mental recuperation and I ended up in Canberra for almost one year .It was a great time and had a good pastoral time for different speaking communities.
In 1986 came back to PNG and the provincial had appointed me to the Mount Hagen Archdiocese already coz the mountains are helping along with the recuperation process,
-In 1987 Archbishop G. Bernarding appointed me for Kuruk-parish which became very dear to me and my first highlands parish. Was great.
-In 1988 I came back to the Netherlands for the golden wedding jubilee of my parents
-Back to Kuruk-paris again
-In 1990 was called back to the Netherlands coz my father was dying.
- back to Kuruk parish
In 1995 went back to the Netherlands for funeral of my mother and also for treatment of trombose leg and lung infarct.
-back to Kuruk parish .
-In 1998 went back to the Netherlands for home leave .
- in 1998 I wanted to retire in the Netherlands and my confreres voted me in as District Superior of Hagen.
- At that time we remodeled the SVD house in Hagen, so many elderly confreres could stay there when retired. In that period over there I was 5 times chaplain at the HTTC college. .Further looked after Mun parish a while; helped out in St Pauls Parish many times eg hospital
-In 2011 I came on home leave to the Netherlands
-Back to SVD house Hagen and in Oct 2012 became administrator of Kumdi parish.
-Then in September 2012 a small boil grew on my right upper arm and in the process the doctors in PNG got the strong opinion, that it was cancer. So I had to leave in a big hurry in case the doctors here in the Netherlands could help me yet.
-On the 4th of December I arrived here in the Netherlands I arrived here in Amsterdam and my family brought me straight to the SVD House in Teteringen and the very capable head nurse Mrs Ria Franken brought me immediately to the doctor and doctors and after quite a big number of research eg Pet and CT scans It became very clear that I had a very aggressive for of Cancer and well the Sarcoma type.(See google.) This cancer Sarcoma had spread out already to the lungs and to the lever and also to the right upper-leg..
-So all these things changed the course of my life completely……
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