Fr. Antonius Joseph “Joep” Offermanns

Antonius Joseph “Joep” Offermanns was born on October 17, 1935 in Geilenkrichen, Germany. His family moved to the Netherlands where his father worked as a shoemaker, sacristan and organist of the parish church in their village. At an early age, he learned to play the organ. After his elementary education, he entered the minor seminary of the Carmelites.

Upon entrance to the novitiate, he was given the name, Crispin, the patron saint of the shoemakers, which reminded him always on the work of his father. He did his profession on October 3, 1955. He was ordained priest on July 10, 1960. In preparation for his future work for the school in the Philippines as a missionary, he was sent to the United States to take up Master of Arts in English and Education.

He arrived in the Philippines on 1964 and was assigned in Mount Carmel College, Escalante, Negros Occidental. Later, he worked in Magdalen Hospital as a Director and after a long process of self-examination, he opted to work in the social action center in Iligan City.

He was elected the Commissary Provincial in 1985 and served in this position up to his death. He was greatly involved in Justice and Peace work and task forces and other mission partners of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines.

After suffering from lung cancer, he passed away at the age of 55 on August 15, 1991 in Heerlen, Netherlands, where he underwent cancer therapy for a short while. He was buried on August 20, 1991 in Landgraaf, Netherlands. On the occasion of his silver anniversary of ordination, he said:

“My message today is one of struggle. Always, I have been a man of struggle. My objective always is to do everything that should be done. So, I am a mixture of patience and impatience. Hence, I wish to renew my commitment as a prophet and not a diplomat for the true total freedom of our suffering people.
It is the task of the religious to witness and bring life, of equality justice and peace for all. Otherwise, we would be guilty of their deaths. We should be prophets and not diplomats… the consequences can demand a high price.”