Guy Noirhomme (1931-2022)
First vows on September 8, 1950
Ordained a priest on August 7, 1955
Missionary in Congo (Kinshasa), Rome, Cameroon, and Belgium.
Died in Embourg (Belgium) on August 31, 2022,
Guy’s father was an educator. Guy was the second of three children and lost his mother, Alice, when he was four years old. His father started a new family with Marguerite, who had seven sons. Guy had begun his secondary education in Bastogne but had to flee during the battle of the Ardennes. He continued his studies in Namur. On September 7, 1942, he entered the novitiate in Jambes, where he studied philosophy and theology.
Guy was relieved to be finished with his theological studies and to be able to travel to the missions. However, the Superior General directed him to study sociology in Louvain, Kinshasa, and later in Paris and Fordham, New York. Guy spent eight years putting his sociology skills to use for the Church in Kinshasa and the Episcopal Conference of Congo. Following that, he was involved in pastoral work in Kinshasa.
He was asked to come to Belgium in 1981 to take charge of the animation and hospitality at the house on Rue Berckmans. He supervised the renovation of the house while also serving as the Vice-Provincial.
He moved to Rome as Assistant Secretary General in 1988. After his tenure as Assistant General Secretary, he was assigned to Batouri, Cameroon, where he served as Secretary to Msgr. Roger Pirenne for five years.
He was appointed Provincial Secretary of the CICM Province of Belgique Méridionale (BM) in 1999. He held this position until the end of the BM Province. He later became the Rector of the community of Embourg. His health problems started then. He narrowly avoided having an aneurysm. Guy was able to rest and participate actively in the life of this community of elders after this major surgery, even though his memory was fading with age.
Guy’s health had deteriorated during the first wave of Covid-19. After being hospitalized for two months, he was transferred to the Françoise Schervier rest and care home in Mehagne. He was weakening, and his disease was progressing rapidly in the last few weeks. After a relapse, he was placed in palliative care.
Thank you, Guy, for your availability and services to the Church in Kinshasa, the Congregation, and your confreres. Thank you for your sense of humor, which helped to alleviate your pain and comfort your confreres.
Bernard Parmentier