Hendrik Christiaan van de Leur was born in Velsen on August 12, 1898, the son of a contractor. At that time, his father was involved in the construction of the locks in the North Sea Canal. Hendrik inherited the practical streak from his father: "Using your hands, that's number one. Studying comes second". Father Van de Leur had originally predestined his son to hydraulic engineering. He first went to vocational school: two years of carpentry, one year on the construction site, and meanwhile Hendrik van de Leur did evening courses. His Sirag teacher knew the now famous Benedictine monk-architect Dom Paul Bellot OSB and put him in touch with the priest. He completed internships with Bellot at St. Paul's Abbey in Oosterhout. This abbey Bellot had built himself from 1906 and here he had an architectural office with employees from various countries. On August 1, 1922, Van de Leur officially entered Bellot's service. Dom Bellot himself sketched the designs for his churches and buildings. Van de Leur made the specification drawings, arranged building permits and other administrative matters. He soon became more involved in supervising the construction of the designs. Surprised by this fast-paced career, Van de Leur certainly was, but colleagues told him he was much more practical than them. "The Dutch disposition. You're more inventive. Practically a little more useful". He became a link in the Bellot school. He also learned to be artistic with brick. Bellot "mosaiced" with brick in sometimes as many as five colors. His churches sometimes look rather garish. Van de Leur was involved in the realization of the following buildings by Dom Bellot: 1923: Extension of the Gertrudiskerk in Heerle. 1923: Construction gymnasium with chapel for the Augustinians in Eindhoven. 1924: Construction St. Adalbert Chapel in the cemetery of Bloemendaal. 1926: Construction Maria Onbevlekte Ontvangeniskerk at Waalwijk (Besoyen). 1928: Construction complex St. Theresia in Nijmegen (church, convent and schools). 1929: Construction of Maria Church in Leerdam. 1929: Construction Heilig Hart church in Eindhoven (Gestel). Because Dom Bellot had so much confidence in Van de Leur, it was decided to award the Bellot school in the Netherlands entirely to Van de Leur. Van de Leur thus became associe-compagnon on January 1, 1929. Dom Bellot would return to France and continue his office in Wisques. Van de Leur settled in Nijmegen as of September 1, 1929, and continued the Bellot school until World War II, albeit in an increasingly distinct and restrained form. Van de Leur built the following churches during this initial period: 1929: Extension Matthias Church at Oploo. 1929: Expansion of church at Sint Anthonis. 1932: Extension church at Beugen. 1932-1933: Construction St. Lambertus church in Vorstenbosch. 1932-1933: Expansion Petruskerk in Berlicum. 1932-1934: Construction St. Franciscus church in Bolsward. 1932-1934: Construction St. Franciscus church in Groningen. 1933-1934: Construction Remigius church in Leuth. 1934-1935: Building Gerardus Majellakerk in Utrecht. In 1936, Van de Leur became Episcopal Inspector for the Diocese of 's Hertogenbosch. This work entailed reviewing the plans of pastors and church administrations and advising the bishop on building matters. Meanwhile, he also designed residential houses and schools. The crisis years had arrived and he had few commissions. Also, contact with Dom Bellot had become less frequent, as the latter was often in Canada. Bellot continued building there and became a professor at the University of Quebec. He died in Canada during World War II. When World War II began, Van de Leur had three projects underway in which he slowly moved with the times. Yet they can still be recognized as works by Van de Leur. This is mainly because of the window shapes, which he developed with Father Bellot and which can be seen in all the churches he designed until 1940. The three projects are: 1938: Construction St. Mary's Church at Oudenrijn-De Meern. 1939-1940: Construction St. Leonardus Church in Helmond. 1940: Expansion of Mariëndaal convent in Groesbeek (chapel and lodgings). After World War II, Van de Leur abandoned the Bellot style in his churches of Woezik (1946) and Drunen (1950-1952). In the church of Deest (1950-1951) and the Trinity Church of Bloemendaal (1952-1953) we do see the window form return. Van de Leur increasingly aligned himself with the general style of Roman Catholic church building around 1950. In the 1950s Van de Leur was involved in the restoration of the churches of Berlicum and Beugen, which had been severely damaged by the acts of war. The Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk of Beugen was restored in the old Gothic style, the Petruskerk of Berlicum, on the other hand, received a Bossche-style-like front. In 1960, Van de Leur expanded the church of Ewijk and built the Jozef-Opifexkerk in Leidschendam. Two years later, he built his last church in Nijmegen-Brakkenstein. They became miracles of modern architecture. Especially in Leidschendam, Van de Leur's construction was very daring. These churches no longer look anything like his work of the 1930s. From 1970 Van de Leur built only profane buildings, such as houses and schools. He also began a career as an interior designer later in life. The most important work from this time is the reconstruction of a 'Via Orientalis' in the biblical open-air museum the Heilige Landstichting in Nijmegen. The assignment was to build a street as it must have looked in biblical Jerusalem. The museum is opposite the residence, which Van de Leur had designed and where he was allowed to live until an advanced age. He died on Jan. 8, 1994.