Marist Brother Jude Pieterse Rest in Peace

by Admin · February 1, 2023

Marist Brother Jude (Gerald Edward) Pieterse, an educator and former secretary-general of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, died at the age of 83 on December 12.

Born in Cape Town on September 1, 1939, he attended St Joseph’s Marist College in Rondebosch where he was the head-boy as well as the captain of the rugby first team.

After school he joined the Marist Brothers, undergoing a two-year programme in Australia. On his return to South Africa he obtained his science degree at the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg.

As a young Brother he taught at Sacred Heart College in Johannesburg and at St Patrick’s Primary School in Port Elizabeth. When the latter school closed, he was transferred to St Patrick’s Marist College in Walmer, Port Elizabeth, where he was appointed principal. While there he was also appointed to the Marist Brothers Provincial Council as a Councillor.

Br Jude’s leadership qualities did not go unnoticed. In 1974 he was voted as the Brother Provincial of the South African Marist Province, a position he held for six years. During this period he did sterling and untiring work in the field of education, and was among the leaders in opening of all Catholic schools to all races, especially for the benefit of the poor.

After a sabbatical period overseas, he returned to South Africa and was soon appointed by the SACBC as their secretary-general. This post required him to travel a great deal to meetings, mostly in Europe, to promote the cause of the open schools, raise funds and meet with high-class government delegations. He often had to mee with South African government ministers on the same issue.

When the new Southern African Marist Province was formed, comprising the Brothers in South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia, Br Jude was again elected as Brother Provincial, a position he held for nine years.

When his term of office was ended, Br Jude was sent by the Marist Brothers’ General Administration in Rome to Bangkok in Thailand where, with Indian Brother Michael de Waas, he set up the Marist Asian Province which is now starting to produce a significant number of young Brothers.

On his return to South Africa By Jude still served another four years as a Councillor for the South African Marist Province.

In the last five years he set out to capture the opening of the Catholic schools in a well-documented book entitled The Open Schools Era (1976-86), written by Br Jude with Robyn Picas, in which the whole fight against apartheid to open up the Catholic schools to all races is succinctly exposed.

The last four years of Br Jude’s life saw a fairly rapid decline in his health. His last three months were spent at Pioneer House Frail Care Centre in Oaklands, Johannesburg, where he passed away in the late afternoon of December 12 .

Br Jude was a man of immense courage and deep compassion who dedicated his life to the service of God and humanity. He leaves a remarkable legacy through the social justice work he did to help bring reform to our country, to transform our schools and through the many lives he impacted on a personal level. A man of conviction, yet humble and kind, a Marist of Champagnat in every respect!