John M. Systermans

{{Short description|Belgian-born missionary and priest}}

John M. Systermans (died May 28, 1989){{cite web |title= Death of Fr. Henri Systermans |work= Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary web site |url= http://www.ssccpicpus.com/news.aspx?c=3&ln=en&id=1326 |access-date= November 4, 2010 }} was born Jean-Marie Systermans,{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}} but was better known as Father Henry Systermans or Pater Henri Systermans. He was a 20th-century Belgian-born missionary and priest with the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.{{cite web |title= Fr. Joseph Hendriks sscc (Hawaii) |work= Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary web site |date= March 11, 2008 |url= http://www.ssccpicpus.com/news.aspx?ln=en&id=4451 |access-date= November 4, 2010 }}

He served for most of his life in HawaiiRoman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu - Necrology most notably during the 1950s at the leper colony at Kalaupapa on Molokai. His service there followed in the tradition of fellow Belgian priest, Saint Damien, and his contributions were part of the research gathered by Gavan Daws for the definitive biography Holy Man: Father Damien of Molokai.{{cite book |author= Gavan Daws |author-link= Gavan Daws |title=Holy man: Father Damien of Molokai |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=98yOX2tDGicC&pg=PR9 |year=1984 |publisher= University of Hawaii Press |isbn=978-0-8248-0920-1 |page=ix}}

On August 9, 1958, he was elected as the seventh Superior General of the order.{{cite web |title= Election of Father Henri Systermans, seventh Superior General |work= Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary web site |url= http://www.ssccpicpus.com/news.aspx?c=3&ln=en&id=732 |access-date= November 4, 2010 }}

He served as a Council Father in all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965.

On April 17, 1967, Systermans was part of a delegation meeting Pope Paul VI to present petitions advocating beatification of Father Damien.{{cite web |title= The road to Canonization of Father Damien |work= AIFO web site |year= 2009 |url= http://www.aifo.it/english/resources/announcements/2009/fr_damiens_canonization_imp_steps.htm |access-date= November 4, 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110722023555/http://www.aifo.it/english/resources/announcements/2009/fr_damiens_canonization_imp_steps.htm |archive-date= July 22, 2011 }}

He retired in 1970, and died on May 28, 1989.{{cite web |title= Father Henry Systermans, SS.CC. |work= Catholic Hierarchy web site |url= http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bsysterm.html |access-date= November 4, 2010 }}