Pastor Schmeits Prize

Established in 1919, the Pastoor Schmeits Foundation for Astronomy aims to promote the study of astronomy by awarding a prize to an astronomer of special merit.

A cash prize of €1,500 is attached to the Pastoor Schmeits Prize. The prize has been awarded once every three years since 1980. The prize winner must have Dutch nationality or be a resident of the Netherlands, and have made a scientific contribution of exceptional importance and merit to astronomy in the five years preceding the award ceremony. Publication of this contribution must have taken place within 12 years of obtaining the PhD.

Previous prize winners

Previous prize winners are:

• Hennie Lamers (1980)
• John of Paradise (1983)
• Ewine van Dishoeck (1986)
• Michiel van der Klis (1989)
• Xander Tielens (1991)
• Rens Waters (1995)
• Koen Kuijken (1998)
• Pascal Ehrenfreund (2001)
• Peter van Dokkum (2004)
• Eline Tolstoy and Simon Portegies Zwart (two winners in 2007)
• Amina Helmi and Joop Schaye (two winners in 2010)
• Rychard Bouwens (2013)
• Jason Hessels (2016)
• Selma de Mink (2019)
• Diederik Kruijssen (2022)

Pastor Schmeits Prize 2025

The next award ceremony will take place in 2025. By the end of 2024, all permanent staff members in astronomy in the Netherlands will be invited to make nominations.

Board

The foundation is governed by the board of the J.C. Kapteyn Study Fund, which also carries out the assessment of nominations once every three years. The board is unpaid and has the following composition:

• Prof. E. Tolstoy (RUG, chairman)
• Dr. J.M. van Rooij (RUG, secretary/treasurer)
• Prof. M. Kriek (UL)
• Prof. S.B. Markoff (UVA)
• Prof. J. Hörandel (RU)
• Drs. G.F. Meijering-Swint (RUG, executive secretary)
  

Kapteyn Institute
PO Box 800
9700 AV Groningen
Email

Objectives of the Pastor Schmeits foundation for Astronomy

The purpose of the Pastoor Schmeits Foundation for Astornomy is briefly described in the following document.

Overview of activities and finances

A brief overview of the foundation's financial status of the past year can be found via this link.

History of Pastor Schmeits

Maria Paschalis Schmeits was born in Sittard on 21 August 1851. Destined for the priesthood, he attended school at the Jesuit College in his hometown, went to the priesthood school at Rolduc and completed his studies at the Major Seminary in Roermond. On 13 March 1875, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Paredis. On 2 October 1875, he became chaplain at St Servaes parish in Maastricht. At the time, Schmeits was closely involved in the restoration of St Servaes. "There is not a stone on St Servaes, or I have touched it" was a quote from the pastor. In 1901, he lectured on the building history of this church to an international congress of archaeology and history held in Tongeren, Belgium. His study also appeared in book form.

Pastor

On 16 September 1895, he became pastor in Buggenum before becoming pastor of St Petrus Banden church in Venray on 6 December 1902. He was regularly homesick for his Maastricht days; he missed the flow of life in the city. He also regularly went - against church rules - on theatre visits in the west of the country. Schmeits felt an unpopular outsider in the midst of the Limburg clergy. He was not assured of the unconditional trust of the episcopal curia in Roermond. Schmeits was either too big for Limburg or Limburg was too small for Schmeits.

A man of many talents and interests

Schmeits was a multi-talented man. He was a pastor from whom everyone distanced themselves a little because people had trouble with his high intelligence. It was not only architecture that interested him. He was also an excellent musician and a promoter of church music. He was active locally and in wider circles to revive liturgical singing in Gregorian chant. The story goes that he stood at a private audience with Pope Pius X singing Gregorian chant according to his interpretation. He also lectured on the latest inventions in physics, chemistry and technology.

A man of wide interests: literature, archaeology, botany, zoology and astronomy. Not for nothing were his two inseparable dogs called Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars in the Gemini constellation. In the latter part of his life, astronomy apparently particularly fascinated him. He was ill for quite some time when he died on 11 October 1919. But on 27 June preceding, he established by notarial deed the foundation which was named ‘Pastoor Schmeits Foundation for Astronomy’ and which he gave a capital of 2,000.00 guilders.

Pastor Schmeits for Astronomy: RSIN 821619780