It is with sadness that we announce the death at 11.15 am local time, 29 August 2018, aged 83, in Zorgcentrum Laarhof-Coloriet, Lelystad, The Netherlands,

Father Jan van der Hoorn

Mill Hill Missionary

May he rest in peace

Jan was born on 25^thJanuary 1935 in Langeraar, Diocese of Haarlem, the Netherlands.His parents, Theodorus and Petronella (née Akerboom), ran a market gardening business. He had seven brothers and four sisters. Jan was a pupil at out minor seminary in Hoorn from 1949 to 1953, when he moved to Haelen for two more years. He studied philosophy in Roosendaal from 1955 to 1957. From 1957 to 1961, he studied theology at Mill Hill, London. He took his Perpetual Oath on 5^thMay 1960 and was ordained priest on 9^thJuly 1961 at Mill Hill by Cardinal Godfrey.

A few months after his ordination Jan took up his appointment to Kisumu, Kenya. Suffering from a liver complaint, he was forced to return to the Netherlands in 1966, and – on doctor’s orders – could never return to Kisumu.In 1967 he was appointed to the staff in Haelen. A year later he moved to Oosterbeek. In 1971 he took up an appointment to the staff of our Tilburg College. In 1980, he moved to Vrijland where he served as Vice-Rector, a position he held for almost 18 years, up until 1998 – this extended appointment being a reflection of his valuable contribution to the smooth running and excellent spirit in the house during all those years. In the course of the following years, Jan continued to assist with the maintenance of the house. In February 2013, when his health deteriorated and further care in Vrijland became too difficult, Jan was transferred to the Laarhof-Coloriet nursing home in Lelystad.

As well as being technically gifted, Jan had the reputation of being a good listener and wise counsellor. It was remarked by his superiors that he was “a good companion and confidant to various rectors, and an invaluable help to our retired members.”

On Tuesday, 28^thAugust, upon receiving a phone call from Jan’s doctor, Martien van Leeuwen and Theo Geurtsen called to see him in the care home in Lelystad. It was then already obvious that Jan was on his way to his heavenly reward. Jan passed away the following day, Wednesday, 29^thAugust, at 11:15 a.m. May he rest in peace.

The funeral Mass for Jan will be celebrated in Missiehuis Vrijland on Monday 3^rdSeptember at 11:00 a.m., followed by burial in our cemetery there.