Fr Erwin Schmutz SVD was remembered for his very full life of service - as priest, missionary, medic and botanist – at his funeral Mass in the St Arnold Janssen Chapel, following his death in Sydney earlier this month.

Fr Erwin was born in Ingolstadt, on the River Donau in Bavaria, Germany, and spent 30 years as a missionary in Indonesia, then some years as a German Airforce chaplain, before arriving in the SVD AUS Province where he was chaplain to Adelaide’s German community for many years.

Forced into the German army at just 13 years of age to defend his home-town during World War II, Fr Erwin saw things in the dying weeks of the war that stayed as indelible wounds in his memory. One of his two brothers was killed as a soldier two days after the official surrender in 1945.

During high school, young Erwin developed a love for flowers and botany and had a great skill at drawing plants.

After leaving school he studied chemistry for a while, but he soon joined the Divine Word Missionaries after first coming across the SVD in his home-town where they had a house. He entered at St Augustine’s seminary in Germany and took his vows in May 1958.

In his eulogy, at the funeral Mass celebrated by Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD,  Fr Wim Valcx SVD, spoke of Fr Erwin’s skill in medical procedures, which he put to great use in his missionary life.

“During the novitiate and all the years of his theology Erwin took care of the sick bay. In that way he became interested in all things medical,” said Fr Wim.

“During all his holidays, up to his ordination, he worked in the hospital of Bonn and often assisted in the operation theatre. Being a very sharp and intelligent observer, he learned many useful surgical skills, which would make him a sort of medical doctor and even surgeon in his future missionary work.”

Following ordination, Fr Erwin was appointed for the SVD Anthropos Institute, but was advised to have a few years practical field missionary experience first.

“So, he ended up in the Mangarai on Flores Island (Indonesia). Erwin quickly came to the conclusion that Anthropos was not his future and he remained in his remote mission station Nunang for 30 years. All those years he lived a very solitary life, devoted to pastoral work, medical help and botanical and geological study,” Fr Wim said.

“His St Michael’s parish was not very big, but still required much hard work because of lack of proper roads. A few horses were his only means of transport. It took him a whole month to make the round of all his out-stations, also called chapels.”

During his 30 years in Nunang, Fr Erwin pursued his love of Botany.  He developed a good relationship with the University of Leiden in The Netherlands, where he sent all his finds and discoveries. Countless so-far-unnamed plants were named after him, including a giant tree. He also enjoyed geology and knew all the stones that he found as well as their geological history.

As a priest Fr Erwin specialised in Biblical studies and gave Bible courses all over Indonesia and Africa, making a big contribution to the formation of catechists in Flores.

When he was not allowed back into Indonesia as a missionary following a period of home leave, Fr Erwin volunteered to become a chaplain to the German Luftwaffe, an experience he loved.

After a chance meeting with Fr Frank Gerry SVD of the AUS Province, Fr Erwin accepted an assignment to become chaplain to the German-speaking Catholics in Adelaide.

In an interview for his Diamond Jubilee in 2018, he was asked about how different the chaplaincy ministry was to his time in the Indonesian jungle: “Not so much. It’s all the same really. To be there for the people,” he said.

“As a missionary you loved the people you were with. That’s it. That’s all.”

Fr Boni Buahendri SVD, currently Parish Priest at St Mark’s, Inala, was born in the neighbouring parish, Our Lady of Sorrows, at Rekas on Flores Island and he recalls that when he was a boy, Fr Erwin sometimes called in to drink a fresh coconut, or to just sit and talk and give away some copies of Stadt Gottes, the German SVD mission magazine.

Speaking at the funeral Mass, Fr Boni thanked Fr Erwin for the life he dedicated to the people of Nunang for more than 30 years.

“Thank you for the life you have sacrificed for us in Flores,” he said.

“Since you left Flores, years ago, people in that place, including my own family, still think about you. And three months ago, when I went back home for home leave, I managed to visit St Michael’s Parish in Nunang and visited my own family … they were all asking about you, how is Fr Erwin? “

When Fr Boni heard of Fr Erwin’s death, he phoned St Michael’s Parish and they celebrated a Mass for the repose of Fr Erwin’s soul and declared a mourning period of eight days.

Deputy Provincial, Fr Nick de Groot SVD, gave the homily at Fr Erwin’s Funeral Mass, on the Gospel reading where Jesus talks of the Father preparing many rooms in his house for those who love him and that Christ himself is the Way (John 14:2).

“We thank you Erwin for the way you travelled in and with Christ to the Father’s house and we thank you for the life that you have shared with us in our community,” Fr Nick said.

PHOTOS

TOP RIGHT: Fr Erwin Schmutz SVD, pictured at the time of his Diamond Jubilee in 2018.

MIDDLE LEFT: Fr Erwin, far right, pictured as a young missionary in Indonesia.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Provincial, Fr Asaeli Rass SVD is chief celebrant at Fr Erwin's Funeral Mass in the St Arnold Janssen Chapel, Marsfield.