Joseph Sweens
| Joseph Francis Marie Sweens, M. Afr. | |
|---|---|
| Vicar Apostolic of Victoria-Nyanza | |
| Installed | 15 January 1915 |
| Term ended | 15 November 1928 |
| Predecessor | John Joseph Hirth |
| Successor | Anton Oomen |
| Other posts |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 3 June 1882 |
| Consecration | 20 January 1910 by Bishop Wilhelmus van de Ven |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
22 March 1858 's-Hertogenbosch, North Brabant, Netherlands |
| Died | 12 April 1950 (aged 92) Rubya, West Lakes Region, Tanganyika Territory |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Denomination | Catholic |
Joseph Francis Marie Sweens (22 March 1858 – 12 April 1950), was a Dutch Roman Catholic missionary bishop who served as the Vicar Apostolic of South Nyanza in German East Africa, later in the British-administered Tanganyika Territory, now Tanzania.
Sweens was born in 's-Hertogenbosch, in the Netherlands, on 22 March 1858. He attended a seminary in his diocese, and was ordained a priest on 3 April 1882. He was pastor first of the parish of Lierop, then the parish of Vught, where he heard of Charles Lavigerie and his missionaries and decided to join the White Fathers (Society of the Missionaries of Africa). He was admitted as a novice in 1889, and became a White Father on 22 September 1891. In 1891 he was appointed Director of the lay brothers at Maison-Carrée, Algiers. He was later assigned to training brothers in Europe.
In 1901 Sweens was appointed to the Apostolic Vicariate of Unyanyembe. He worked in Burundi, then part of that vicariate, until 1905. He was then appointed regional visitor to the apostolic vicariates of South Nyanza, North Nyanza and Unyanyembe. He returned to Europe to participate in the society's general chapter in 1906, and was named superior of the Boxtel training school for missionaries in the Netherlands.
Sweens was appointed coadjutor bishop to Mgr. Jean-Joseph Hirth, of South Nyanza, on 17 December 1909. In January 1910 Sweens was appointed Titular Bishop of Capsa. He was ordained Bishop in 's-Hertogenbosch on 20 January 1910 and returned to South Nyanza in April 1910. Hirth returned to his old residence at Kashozi, leaving Sweens to live at the seminary of Rubya. For the next three years Sweens visited the different stations of the diocese, resolved problems and represented the diocese to the civil authorities.
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