The Visitor

“Father Peter Snyers was a positive, faithful person who tended to the day-to-day celebration of the sacraments and prayer,” recalled Father Robert Harren, pastor at St. Stephen Parish in St. Stephen. “He taught a lot of students.”

Their friendship began as both worked closely on faith formation programs and Catholic education, when Father Snyers served at St. John Cantius Parish in St. Cloud, from 1995 to 2001, and Father Harren nearby at St. Anthony Parish.

“He was optimistic, seeing the good in others, loyal to his friends,” Father Harren said. “He usually had a smile on his face and a humorous story to share. And stories help a good teacher.”

Father Peter Snyers, 86, died Jan. 19 at Country Manor in Sartell. He was a priest of the Diocese of St. Cloud for 58 years. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Jan. 24 at St. John Cantius Church, with Bishop John Kinney presiding. Burial was in Assumption Cemetery in St. Cloud.

Father Peter Dominic Snyers was born June 8, 1925, in Leiden, The Netherlands, to Henry and Catherine Van Gaalen Snyers. He attended St. Peter’s Parochial School in Leiden and Gymnasium of the Holy Cross and College, Uden, The Netherlands. He received his seminary training at St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, and St. John’s Seminary, Collegeville.

Father Snyers was ordained Dec. 21, 1953, by Bishop Peter Bartholome at St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud. He celebrated his first Mass Dec. 27, 1953, in St. Mark’s Church, St. Paul.

Father Snyers served in the following pastoral assignments in the Diocese of St. Cloud: administrator, Immaculate Conception Church, Rice; associate pastor, St. Mary Church, Breckenridge; pastor, St. Kathryn Church, Ogilvie; St. Louis Church, Foreston; Assumption Church, Eden Valley; St. Mary Church, Holdingford; St. Hedwig Church, Holdingford; and St. John Cantius Church, St. Cloud. Father Snyers retired July 2, 2001.

He received many awards while serving as chaplain for the Boy Scouts of America.

Promoting peace

“Through the foreign exchange student program,” Father Harren said, “Father Snyers passionately promoted peace and understanding among people — serving on the board and encouraging many families to host foreign students as well as sending our high school youth to other countries. He had no family here so he came to know lots of people through that program.”

As one of the first to buy a computer in the 1980s and one of the first to use computers in ministry, Father Harren said Father Snyers took enthusiastically to technology. “He was very good with his Apple system and loved gadgets of all kinds. He liked to get new technology soon after things came out.”

Father Snyers was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Andrew and Joseph, and sister, Theresa; he is survived by his brother, Louis.