Peter Donders
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Petrus Norbertus Donders (27 October 1809 – 14 January 1887) was a
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
and member of the
Redemptorists The Redemptorists, officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (), abbreviated CSsR, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brothers). It was founded by Alphonsus Liguori at Scala ...
. He served in various missions in the
Dutch colony The Dutch colonial empire () comprised overseas territories and trading posts under some form of Dutch control from the early 17th to late 20th centuries, including those initially administered by Dutch chartered companies—primarily the Du ...
of Surinam. He started working in the capital
Paramaribo Paramaribo ( , , ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's p ...
, but is predominantly known for his work in and around the
leper colony A leper colony, also known by many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. '' M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believed to have spread from East ...
Batavia, where he died in 1887. Peter Donders was beatified as '
Apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...
of the
Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...
and
Lepers Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...
' in 1982. The miracle needed was found in the cure of a Dutch child from
bone cancer A bone tumor is an neoplastic, abnormal growth of tissue in bone, traditionally classified as benign, noncancerous (benign) or malignant, cancerous (malignant). Cancerous bone tumors usually originate from a cancer in another part of the body su ...
back in 1929.


Life

Peter Donders was born in
Tilburg Tilburg () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. With a population of 22 ...
in the
Kingdom of Holland The Kingdom of Holland ( (contemporary), (modern); ) was the successor state of the Batavian Republic. It was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in March 1806 in order to strengthen control over the Netherlands by replacing the republican governmen ...
(current-day
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
) on 27 October 1809 as the eldest of two children to Arnoldus Donders and Petronella van den Brekel. When he was seven, his mother died. He desired to become a
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
, but his father could not afford proper education. Donders worked in the local
textile industry The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of textiles: yarn, cloth and clothing. Industry process Cotton manufacturing Cotton is the world's most important natural fibre. In the year 2007, th ...
. Later he attended Beekvliet seminary in
Sint-Michielsgestel Sint-Michielsgestel () is a village in the municipality of Sint-Michielsgestel (municipality), Sint-Michielsgestel, Netherlands. Geography The 120 km long river Dommel flows north from a well near Peer, Belgium, Peer in Belgium. Just nort ...
. In 1831 he was deemed unfit for
military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...
. In 1833 he applied to join the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
in Belgium but was denied; he met the same results from the
Redemptorists The Redemptorists, officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (), abbreviated CSsR, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brothers). It was founded by Alphonsus Liguori at Scala ...
and
Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...
. Than a benefactor enabled him to pursue his theological studies at the College of Haaren, which he entered in 1837. Reports in the Annals of the Propagation of the Faith, a journal about various Catholic missions, attracted Donders interest to go abroad and work among the 'Indians' in America. In 1839 Surinam
apostolic prefect An apostolic prefect or prefect apostolic is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a 'pre-diocesan' missionary jurisdiction where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese. Although it ...
Jacobus Grooff visited the College of Haaren in search of
missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...
for the colony (now the independent
Republic of Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a high level of human development; its economy is heavily de ...
). Donders applied and was accepted. He was ordained to priesthood in 1841. In September 1843 Donders arrived in Paramaribo, where he was a
chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...
for 14 years. He served under four successive vicars. From Paramaribo he visited some plantations owned by Catholics along the
Suriname River The Suriname River ( Dutch: ''Surinamerivier'') is long and flows through the country of Suriname. Its sources are located in the Guiana Highlands on the border between the Wilhelmina Mountains and the Eilerts de Haan Mountains (where it is kn ...
and
Commewijne River Commewijne River (Sranan Tongo: ''Kawina-liba'') is a river in northern Suriname. It originates in the jungle 100 or more miles southeast of Paraibo and meanders northwest until it receives the meandering Cottica River from the east and then ru ...
. In 1856 Apostolic vicariate, apostolic vicar Jacobus Schepers appointed Donders pastor at the mission post of Batavia along the Coppename River. This remote place, a former Cocoa bean, cocoa plantation, was a governmental leper colony (since 1824), having a permanent Catholic residence (since 1836). In 1853 it counted 453 enslaved Afro-Surinamese people, Afro-Surinamese lepers.Ellen Klinkers, De bannelingen van Batavia. Lepra-bestrijding gedurende de negentiende eeuw in koloniaal Suriname, OSO Tijdschrift voor Surinamistiek, May 2003, page 50-61 (in Dutch) In 1865 the Holy See assigned the Surinam mission to the Dutch Redemptorists. Now Donders could join the congregation. He was vested in the habit by vicar Johannes Swinkels on 1 November 1866, and made his final vows in Paramaribo on 24 June 1867. (in Italian) Having more assistants in Batavia father Donders was now able to make missionary journeys. He visited plantations along the Saramacca River and visited relatively independent communities in the interior, such as the Arawak, Warao people, Warao and Kalina people, Kalina and the Afro American Kwinti people (Bushinengue). He converted few.Stephen Snelders, Leprosy and Colonialism: Suriname Under Dutch Rule, 1750-1950, Manchester University Press, 2017 In 1882 Donders was called back to Paramaribo by vicar Johannes Schaap who send him to Mary's Hope, a mission post in the Coronie District that was in fact a cotton plantation. In October 1885 Schaap restationed Donders at Batavia, where he died due to a kidney infection (nephritis) on January 14, 1887. Peter Donders was buried in the Batavia cemetery, next to the church.J.L.F. Dankelman
Peerke Donders: schering en inslag van zijn leven
Gooi en Sticht, 1982 (in Dutch)


Veneration

The Redemptorists initiated a process for Donders' canonization, both in Suriname and in the Netherlands. The first steps were taken by the bishops of the Roman Catholic Diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch, 's-Hertogensboch and Roman Catholic Diocese of Paramaribo, Paramaribo dioceses in 1900.


Remains

In 1900 Donders' remains were interred in St. Peter and Paul's graveyard in
Paramaribo Paramaribo ( , , ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's p ...
. In 1921 they were relocated to a tomb in the left wing of the church. The tomb was renovated in 2010 together with the interior of the Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral, Paramaribo, cathedral. Batavia became a tourist and pilgrimage site.


Netherlands

In 1900 the Redemptorists bought the land around Donders' birthplace in the north of Tilburg. In 1923, a memorial stone was placed at the site and a Surinam-like chapel erected, next to which a processional park was laid out. In 1926 a Petrus Donders statue was erected in Wilhelminapark, central Tilburg. In 1930 Donders' house of birth was reconstructed. That year a second Donders monument was unveiled in his native soil, depicting different aspects of his life. To complete the site as a place of pilgrimage a Museum of Charity (Christian virtue), Charity was opened in the park in 2009. The museum and surrounding park is managed by the Tilburg Petrus Donders Foundation since 2014.


Apostolic process

Donders' spiritual writings were approved by theologians on 13 December 1911, and his cause was formally opened on 14 May 1913, granting him the title of Servant of God. Subsequently, in 1914, 1915 and 1919, Beatification and canonization process prior to 1983, apostolic processes were held for his beatification. A proposed miraculous healing in 1929 of the Tilburg born child Ludovicus Johann Westland was rejected twice by the Vatican medical commission of the Congregation for Rites, in 1931 and in 1936. During the Second World War three more meetings were held in Rome discussing Donders' cause. All objections of the devil's advocate were refuted by the postulator, general postulator. Then, on 25 March 1945, Pope Pius XII declared him venerable, which means that Donders had practiced his virtues 'to an heroic virtue, heroic degree'. In 1976, the Redemptorists once again presented Westland's healing, but now with some new information; the bone infection had been cured ''overnight'', which could not be explained naturally. In 1978 this was approved by the medical experts of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, C.C.S. as did the cardinal and bishop members. Exemption was granted for a second miracle that would have otherwise been needed for Donders to be beatified under the old rules that were still in force regarding sainthood causes. This led to the beatification of Donders by Pope John Paul II on 23 May 1982. The beatification coincided with the 250th anniversary of the Redemptorists, founded in 1732. The current general postulator for this cause is the Redemptorist priest Antonio Marrazzo.


Statue Controversy

Since the beatification in 1982 the 1926 bronze w:nl:Standbeeld Petrus Donders, Petrus Donders statue in central Tilburg is subject to debate, because of its hierarchic composition. The kneeling leper is a slave name, nameless, slavery, enslaved African diaspora, African. The monument not only represents the Dutch mission and leper care in Suriname, it is also identified with colonialism and slavery. At the time the statue was erected religious zeal and colonial politics were closely related. Therefore, the statue has a strong catholic as well as colonial symbolism. In 2016 Gloria Wekker stated that the sculpture is a representation of inequality. In an open letter the Dutch political party Ubuntu Connected Front (UCF) requested the municipality of Tilburg to move the sculpture, containing two human beings, out of public space. According to UCF it portrays a Eurocentric and Afrophobia, Afrophobic narrative. A museum would be a better and appropriate place for it. The statue is owned by the municipality. The city council expressed its concerns in 2021 and asked for a proper contextualization. An explanatory sign was placed in front of the statue in 2022, with the following text (translated into English): ''You see a bronze statue of two men: one man kneeling, one man standing. The kneeling man is a leper from Suriname. The standing man is priest Peter Donders, better known in Tilburg as Peerke Donders. The statue was placed in 1926. At that time, such a representation was common. Today we consider it an undeniable symbol of colonial rule. Of the historic person, Peter Donders himself, we have a more positive imagination. He cared about the fate of the slaves in the leprosy colony Batavia in Suriname, and worked for them for many years.'' ''Nowadays we look very critically at our colonial and slavery past. A painful and confrontational chapter in our history. In Tilburg we do not avoid the conversation about this, taking into account the deeply felt emotion of everyone to be seen, heard and appreciated. Therefore the statue in front of you is controversial. At the same time, it also invites you to have that conversation.'' ''Preserving this statue in public space is part of this ongoing debate in the city about our history, our slavery past and also about the inclusive city we want to be, in Tilburg. What do you think?'' In 2023 Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus University Prof. Maria Grever stated that the statue has lost its 'white innocence'. Within a Postcolonialism, postcolonial framework, the statue is a narrative of submission and racism. Many people in Tilburg, although aware of multi-perspectivity, still find it difficult to imagine that Donders' statue with the kneeling black man brings back the image of African Surinamese as objects of patronizing care. According to Grever, discourses of colonialism, racism and missionary work strengthened the Dutch civilising mission in the colonies, which was based on a Western world, western conception of progress, white supremacy, white superiority and the malleability of society. In the 1920s, this mixed discourse particularly appealed to Catholic Church in the Netherlands, Catholics in the Netherlands, because they had occupied a second-rate position in the country for centuries. Therefore the statue also represents the triumphant progress of Catholic emancipation in the Netherlands.Maria Grever
Historical consciousness and controversial statues in a postcolonial world: the case of Missionary Peerke Donders (1809–1887), History of Education: Vol 52, No 6
Erasmus University Rotterdam /NL-Lab Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, KNAW Humanities Cluster Amsterdam, www.tandfonline.com, 20 Jul 2023


Gallery

File:Overzicht monument - Tilburg - 20355181 - RCE.jpg, Peter Donders monument,
Tilburg Tilburg () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. With a population of 22 ...
File:Peerke paviljoen.JPG, Birthplace in Tilburg (reconstruction) File:Jules_Vits_(1868-1935)_Peerke_Donders_-_Gemeentelijk_Museum_Melle_23-3-2017_11-27-38.JPG, Bust in Melle, Belgium, Melle, Belgium File:Petrus Donders.jpg, Stained glass window File:Batavia 2001-11-18-03 inwijding en bedevaart.jpg, Pilgrimage site Batavia, Suriname File:Overzicht ingang - Tilburg - 20355205 - RCE.jpg, Pilgrimage site Tilburg, the Netherlands File:Peerke museum.JPG, Museum of Charity, Tilburg File:Post-Christonian Iconocloaking (2020).jpg, left, Statue protested in 2020 File:Monument Petrus Donders toelichtingsbord.jpg, Explanatory sign (in Dutch), 2022


See also

* Catholic Church in Suriname * Father Damien


References


External links


Saints SQPN

The Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donders, Peter 1809 births 1887 deaths 19th-century venerated Christians 19th-century Dutch Roman Catholic priests Beatified Redemptorists Beatifications by Pope John Paul II Deaths from nephritis Dutch beatified people Dutch Roman Catholic missionaries Dutch emigrants to Suriname People from Tilburg Roman Catholic missionaries in Suriname Redemptorists 19th-century Surinamese people Iconoclasm