Liberius Pieterse

Liberius Pieterse
Born	12 February 1905 Wageningen, Holland
Died	September 24, 1973 Campo Verano, Rome
Nationality	Dutch
Other names	Azad
Citizenship	Pakistani
Alma mater	Conservatorium of Music, Rotterdam
Occupation	Franciscan priest
Years active	1929 - 1973
Known for	his gift with languages
Notable work	translation of the Bible into Urdu language

Liberius Pieterse was a Franciscan priest working initially in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi in Pakistan.

He was born in Wageningen, the Netherlands on 12 February 1905. He did his schooling in Rotterdam, Schiedam and Utrecht. He studied at the Conservatorium of Music in Rotterdam. He attended the Seraphic School at Sittard from 1926 -1929. He was received in the Order of Friars Minor on September 7, 1929. In 1936 he was ordained a priest, and seven months later he arrived in British India.

He was talented especially in languages, mathematics, music and art. He learned Konkani language, Tamil and Punjabi to get in touch with the working people in society.

He started work as assistant in Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Karachi and teacher in St Patrick's High School, Karachi. In 1937 he became the editor of a new monthly "St. Anthony in India". In November 1937 he was transferred to Quetta and was assistant at Holy Rosary Church, Quetta, and assistant principal of St Francis Grammar School. During these years he got in touch with the Urdu speaking Catholics as well as some Pushto speaking non-Christians. Two years later he was transferred to Sanghar as assistant, and also helped in Mirpurkhas, a small station without a resident priest. In 1939 World War II broke out, and since Mgr. Salesius Lemmens had started Portiuncula Friary for the training of the local friars, Pieterse was taken on the teaching staff of the Friary. He taught philosophy, Greek, Hebrew and music.

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