A funeral Mass for Father John Swinkels, who passed away April 10 at the age of 92, will take place Tuesday, April 20, at St. Michael’s in Burnaby.
Father Swinkels became made front page news in 1971 when he officiated at the marriage of Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and Margaret Sinclair at St. Stephen’s in North Vancouver where he was pastor.
He was born June 1, 1928, in Vught, the Netherlands, Johannes Theodorus, to Adrianus Martinus and Cornelia, (when first names were still officially recorded in Latin).
He began his studies for the priesthood in the Netherlands before coming to Canada in 1948, entering the Seminary of Christ the King, then at Deer Lake, Burnaby, in January 1949.
After completing two years of philosophy there, he went to St. Joseph’s Seminary in Edmonton for his theology.
Ordained to the priesthood April 3, 1954 in Holy Rosary Cathedral, Vancouver, he celebrated his first Solemn Mass the next day in St. Joseph’s Church, Powell River.
He served in St. Peter’s Parish in Princeton as well as many parishes in the archdiocese including Our Lady of Sorrows, Vancouver; Sts. Peter and Paul, Vancouver; All Saints, Coquitlam; St. Stephen, North Vancouver; St. Francis de Sales, Burnaby; St. Edmund, North Vancouver. He returned to Sts. Peter and Paul in Vancouver until his retirement. In his retirement he helped at St. Michael’s in Burnaby.
The funeral Mass will be offered by Archbishop J. Michael Miller at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Michael’s. It will be livestreamed on the St. Michael’s website.
Father Swinkels was predeceased by five sisters: Doortje, Sjaan, Riet, Willemien, and Bets. He is survived by sister Ann Keyzer and her husband Theo, and many nieces and nephews in Canada and the Netherlands.
