Society Matters | Volume 30 No. 3 | Spring 2020

Volume 30 No. 3 | Spring 2020 6 A century of missionary presence in Epping The Divine Word Missionaries are celebrating 100 years since arriving in Epping, Sydney, a significant development in the mission to Australia and Papua New Guinea, which was overseen by St Arnold Janssen himself. “The first chapter of the SVD in Australia is a story of hard years, 45 of them: just like the 40 years of Israel in the desert. They were years of going around in circles, wondering do we have a place of our own or a future in this country, or are we simply an adjunct to the German New Guinea Mission of the SVD,” writes Fr Frank Gerry in a history of the SVD AUS Province. In 1896, Fr Arnold Janssen, the Founder of the Society of the Divine Word, had appointed Fr Eberhard Limbrock SVD to head a six-man team of missionaries to German New Guinea. “Fr Limbrock had been a missionary in China for 13 years and, at 36 years of age, had proved himself to be trustworthy and capable,” Fr Frank says. “It did not take him long to realise that having a house of some kind in Australia would be a distinct advantage. “It could serve as a source of financial support and would be a logical place from which to do business for the mission, be a port of call for missionaries coming to or going from New Guinea, as well as an excellent place for rest and recuperation for ailing missionaries.” In 1898, when Fr Limbrock was in Holland for a General Chapter of the Congregation, Fr Arnold agreed to his plan and the SVD presence in Australia was born. Fr Limbrock and Fr Jacob Fey arrived in Sydney on January 29, 1900 and at the request of Cardinal Moran, the Archbishop of Sydney, they took up residence in Drummoyne with the agreement that as soon as a suitable priest could be found, the Society would take up the pastoral care of what was to be the new parish of St Mark’s, Drummoyne. Fr Fischer was transferred to Australia to take up the three responsibilities of Parish Priest, mission purchaser for New Guinea and religious Superior. But, says Fr Frank: “It was not until 14 September 1902, with the arrival of Fr Peter Klein and Brother Leodegard Schmitt that any stability could be established”. Fr Klein and Br Schmitt were appointed in 1902 to Sydney and would remain in Australia until their deaths in 1941 and 1954 respectively. In naming Fr Klein to this post in Australia, Fr Janssen said: “Look out for good vocations, priests and brothers: that would be a real help for the Society and the missions”. Those words would take a long time to be realised, even if in the beginning, Fr Klein’s enthusiasm knew no bounds.