Father Piet Geusens

born in Zutendaal 1916   deceased in Scheut 1986 first vow in Zuun 1937 CICM (Scheut) (Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) priestly ordination in Scheut 1943  China : 1947 - 1951  Japan : 1951 - 1961

Father Piet Geusens was born during the First World War. As a missionary, he witnessed the Communist uprising in his mission region in China, which eventually forced him to flee to Japan.

Before departing for China, Father Piet Geusens had been a teacher at St. Joseph’s College in Hasselt. His missionary life began on February 15, 1947, when he left for China. There, he was appointed assistant pastor in Ningxia, a large city with a significant Christian community. Surrounding the city were villages where Christians also lived. As a priest and missionary, he was driven by the desire to bring non-Christians to the Christian faith. His devotion to Mary inspired him to establish the Legion of Mary in 1950. The Communists, displeased by the growth of his following, accused his missionary work of espionage. Father Piet Geusens was forced to leave China.

He went directly to Japan, where he continued his missionary work. In a short time, in Ikuno, where he served as parish priest, he succeeded in convincing hundreds of people to leave Buddhism or Shinto and embrace Christianity.

Groepsfoto van Zutendaalse priesters en missionarissen


Tussenstop in Port Said (Egypte), op reis naar China

After a year of rest in Belgium, Father Piet Geusens left once again for Japan in 1958, this time to serve as parish priest in Aboshi. There, he deliberately chose to live in poverty: no furniture in his room, sleeping on the floor, and eating simple meals. He gave conferences and sermons in other parishes, and before long, he was being invited to speak in most dioceses across Japan. His health, however, began to suffer, and in 1967 he was forced to retire to Schilde. He was not only exhausted but also seriously ill. He spent a long period in the hospital and would never return to Japan. He passed away at the Scheut Mission House on June 29, 1986.

Father Piet Geusens never spoke or wrote much about his missionary work, yet it is known that his life was devoted to prayer and mission. He even declined the opportunity to return home on vacation. That he loved his native village of Zutendaal is beyond question, as the following words testify:  

“In my life I have seen many beautiful regions and countries, and the land where I now live is perhaps, in terms of natural beauty, one of the most beautiful in the world. Yet none seems fairer to me than Zutendaal, with its gently rolling hills, woods and heath, fields and meadows. No student pastime seemed more delightful to me than to be able to roam freely there. But life does not stand still — it moves on quickly — and the great challenge is to make something beautiful of it.”