(December 15, 2011) Capuchin friars on Wednesday celebrated a requiem Mass for two
Belgian priests who helped establish the Church in the Punjab over the course of five
decades. Archbishop Evarist Pinto of Karachi concelebrated Mass for Fathers John
Bosco and Angelo Van Der Steen at Portiuncula Friary in Karachi. Both priests devoted
half a decade to the Church in Pakistan and died of prolonged illnesses earlier this
year. “We pay heartfelt gratitude for their missionary zeal and enthusiasm. Their
work is now expanding. Both men were great preachers, deep in personal prayers, and
influenced many,” the archbishop said in his homily. Fr Abid Habib, former president
of the Major Superiors Leadership Conference of Pakistan, also praised the accomplishments
of the two priests. “Locals loved the homilies of Fr John Bosco, who also helped
and guided many foreigner missionaries to learn Urdu and Punjabi languages, as well
as to hear vernacular confessions,” he said. “Both were great communicators and could
convey long homilies despite old age. Nowadays people lose their concentration only
after 10 minutes.” Fr Thomas Gulfam, the first Punjabi priest in Karachi archdiocese,
said Fr Bosco was an inspiration to him in his vocation. “The congregation nowadays
thinks about the personal lives of the priests while listening to the homilies. This
has a lot to do with the spirituality of the sermon,” he said. There are now 11 Capuchin
Friars students in the Karachi Friary and 20 perpetually professed Capuchins, including
two foreigners, in the country.