Wilhelmus Demarteau

Wilhelmus Joannes Demarteau MSF, French Guillaume Jean Demarteau ( born January 24, 1917 in Horn, The Netherlands; † 5 December 2012) was bishop of Banjarmasin.

Life

Wilhelmus Joannes Demarteau came from the Diocese of Roermond and joined the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Family. After his ordination on 27 July 1941, he took over for his Order a missionary work in Indonesia.

Pope Pius XII. appointed him on January 6, 1954 at the age of 36 years Vicar Apostolic of Banjarmasin and Titular Bishop of Arsinoe in Cypro. The Apostolic Delegate in Indonesia, Georges -Marie -Joseph -Hubert -Ghislain de Jonghe d' Ardoye MEP, consecrated him on May 5, 1954 to the bishop; Co-consecrators were Tarcisius Henricus Josephus van Valenberg OFM Cap, Apostolic Vicar of Pontianak, and Albert Soegijapranata SJ, Vicar Apostolic of Semarang. He was a Council Father and participants of all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council.

Pope John XXIII. rose on January 3, 1961 the Vicariate Apostolic to the diocese and thus Demarteau was the first bishop of Banjarbaru in the then Dutch East Indies.

On June 6, 1983, Pope John Paul II accepted his premature resignation. He spent his retirement in Banjarmasin, where he was also buried.