Every morning at 5.30am, while most of us are still dreaming, Robert and Bernadette Kobus arrive at the St Arnold Janssen Chapel in Marsfield to open up, prepare things for Mass and spend time in quiet prayer.

They are part of a valued network of lay people who support the Divine Word Missionaries in a wide variety of different ways, and they say they too value the friendship deeply.

“It was through the generosity of the SVD that we became friends with the SVD,” Robert says
After retiring in 2002, Robert was “looking for things to do”, and he and Bernadette began attending daily Mass, first at their local parish, and then, at the St Arnold Janssen Chapel, which they learned of through the Indonesian community that gathers there.

“We were attending one of the Indonesian community’s meetings and I read that the SVD celebrate Mass every day at 7am,” Robert says.

“And I thought, this is very generous. This is just a chapel, not a parish – they are not required to have Mass for the people every day, but they do, and everyone is welcome.”

So, they turned up one morning and have never looked back.

“After the Mass, we were all invited to have breakfast with the priests, which for us is a great honour,” Robert says.

“On Fridays, the Mass is held in the afternoon and then everyone stays for a community get-together for dinner and again, everyone, even the homeless, are welcome. This is the kind of generosity the SVD show.”

One morning, while waiting for the Chapel to open before Mass, the presiding priest at the time asked if they would like to take charge of opening the chapel each day.

“So, I started to open the Chapel and now we come and we open it up and then we set up for Mass and then we can pray in the Chapel before Mass,” Robert says. “We wake up early so we can have time with the Lord in the morning.

“But our doing that is a response to their generosity. They reached out to us first, by holding this daily Mass for people and the hospitality they give. If you don’t reach out, you won’t get friends.

“Opening the Chapel and preparing things for Mass is a big honour for me. And you know what? It keeps me alive. If I didn’t do this every morning, I’d just lie in bed. It gives me a sense of purpose and this is important because when you retire you feel you are not worth much. You are too old. But then you get something to do, like this, and you have purpose and meaning again.”

Bernadette and Robert also appreciate the friendships they’ve made through their association with the SVD and the St Arnold Janssen Chapel, especially through the breakfasts after Mass.

“We just have a simple breakfast of coffee and bread, but we talk and we interact with people, so that’s what the SVD have given to us. And of course, they give us the gift of the Eucharist every day and that is a generous gift for us. We feel very fortunate to have a friend in the SVD.”

Rector of the SVD Marsfield Community, Fr Mikhael Loke, says the feeling is mutual.

“We have a wonderful community here at the St Arnold Janssen Chapel,” Fr Mikhael says. “It is a very happy, multicultural and generous community. I am happy and grateful for having the opportunity to work together with a generous and committed group of lay people in our AJ Chapel ministry.

“And Bernadette and Robert are beautiful examples of that generosity that exists. To know that the Chapel is being opened and prepared for Mass each day is a real help for us. We really value these supportive friendships that we have.”