Informazione:
www.stpauls.com.au
Storia:
History of the
Society of St
Paul
Australia
The 1950s
The story of the Society of St Paul’s foundation in Australia
began in August 1952 when Fr Francis Borrano arrived in
Sydney. Then a member of the United States Province, Fr Borrano
had been sent by the founder of the Society of St Paul, Fr James
Alberione, to investigate the possibility of beginning a
foundation in Australia.
Fr Borrano belonged to the first group of young men to pronounce
their religious vows in the Society of St Paul, together with Fr
Alberione, on 5 October, 1921. The Australian foundation can
thus be traced to one of the original members of the
congregation, one who was there when the congregation had its
humble beginnings in Alba, in the Cuneo region of northern Italy.
Fr Borrano remained in Australia for about ten months, initially
as a guest of the Redemptorists before moving to the presbytery
at St Joseph’s, Newtown, where he assisted in the ministry of
the parish. He was not there long when he met a young man named
Michael Byrnes who was an apprentice compositor/linotypist
at The Catholic Weekly, the newspaper of the Sydney Archdiocese.
He expressed an interest in studying for the diocesan priesthood
but Fr Borrano pointed out that since he was already involved in
the religious press and wanted to be a priest he could combine
both by becoming a member of the Society of St Paul.
At the end of his stay, Fr Borrano provided the founder, Fr
Alberione, with a positive report on the potential for a Pauline
mission in Australia and passed on a warm invitation from the
Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal Norman Thomas Gilroy, to
establish a house in the Sydney Archdiocese. The decision to
proceed was taken and Fr Bernard Gnata was chosen to
begin the Pauline foundation in Australia. Also a member of the
United States Province, he arrived in Australia on 16 June,
1953. Shortly after the Redemptorist congregation put at Fr
Gnata’s disposal a small residence in Concord. It was to be the
first centre of the Paulines in Australia. It had a small chapel
in which Mass was celebrated and the Blessed Sacrament reserved.
It was in that Chapel on about 20 August 1953 that the official
commencement of the Australian foundation was marked with prayer
and thanksgiving. A new Pauline mission had begun. The initial
community comprised Fr Gnata and the aspirant, Michael Byrnes.
With the help of some lay cooperators sympathetic to the ideals
of the Society of St Paul an apostolic activity began. Religious
books and pamphlets published in the United States were imported
and distributed in Australia. One of the earliest outlets for
these publications was the small bookshop attached to St Mary’s
Cathedral.
On 25 January 1954 the infant community moved to a larger house
in Abbotsford Rd, Homebush. About this time, the office for the
promotion and distribution of booklets and pamphlets was
transferred Cusa House, a building owned by the Archdiocese in
Elizabeth Street, Sydney. In time some 16,000 ACTS and Liguori
pamphlets would be distributed every month from this office.
Other Paulines arrived in due course. Br Luciano Melchioro
arrived from Italy in March 1954 followed in August by Fr
Mirko Cerato. This made possible an expansion in the
promotion of religious literature and the commencement of a film
distribution apostolate among the Italian community in Sydney.
Shortly afterwards, Michael Byrnes, having made his religious
vestition on 15 August, left for Rome to continue his formation.
‘Note well that without sacrifice
you
cannot achieve anything.
The cross cannot be placed only on the
church steeple.
It must also be planted in our hearts.
All that
is good costs. Don’t do only those things
that are eye-catching,
but focus on the little things,
and keep going ahead day by
day.’
(Beato Giacomo Alberione)
An event of great significance occurred on 14 May, 1955, when
the founder of the Pauline Family, Fr James Alberione, arrived
in Sydney for a three day visit. He was accompanied by Sr
Thecla Merlo, the Superior General of the Daughters of St
Paul and Sisters Laurentia Casamassima and Redenta
Commentucci, who would remain to form the first community of
the Daughters of St Paul in Australia. At the end of the visit
he said to the Paulines: ‘Note well that without sacrifice you
cannot achieve anything. The cross cannot be placed only on the
church steeple. It must also be planted in our hearts. All that
is good costs. Don’t do only those things that are eye-catching,
but focus on the little things, and keep going ahead day by
day.’
Shortly after this visit the Sisters of Jesus Good Shepherd
(Pastorelle) came to Australia where they opened a house in
Melbourne after a brief stay in Sydney. In 1957 the Sister
Disciples of the Divine Master arrived in Sydney. Fr Alberione’s
remarkable Pauline Family was now well and truly established in
Terra Australis.
1957 saw the arrival of Fr Jerome Casolari and Br
Alphonsus Panaro from the Philippines. Br Alphonsus was one
of the many missionaries expelled from China in the 1950s.
During this period a small printery was set up in a service
station in Burlington Rd in Homebush. Since the community was
living in a residential area it was impossible to have a
printery on the premises.
The return of Fr Casolari to the Philippines saw the arrival of
Fr Marco Grossi from the same country. In 1959 he came to
know that the Dominican Sisters who conducted St Lucy’s School
for the Blind in Broughton Rd, Homebush, wished to move to
Wahroonga and that the property was for sale. In December of
that year the Society purchased the property and shortly
afterwards took up residence. It continues to this day to be the
principal residence (or ‘motherhouse’) of the Society of St Paul
in Australia.
The 1960s
Fr Grossi moved heaven and earth to get permission from
Strathfield Council to allow the use of printing machinery on
the newly acquired Broughton Rd property. Finally, Council
allowed this under strict conditions. The few small printing
machines were moved from the service station to the new property
and a stable form of apostolate was established.
Meanwhile, in Rome, the Founder was following events closely. He
had sent two superiors from the Philippines and now, spinning
the globe of the world that was always on his desk just a
little, he decided to send superiors from Japan. The first of
these, Fr Angelo Castellotto, arrived in 1961 while the second,
Fr Paul Cirio, arrived in 1964.
In March of 1963 the Founder made his second, and final, visit
to his sons and daughters in Australia. He was well satisfied
with all that had happened in the eight years since his previous
visit, and exhorted the Paulines to intensify their efforts in
bringing the Gospel to everyone, especially those most far from
the light of Christ.
The members were to take up this challenge by printing
attractive and inexpensive editions of the New Testament and the
Gospels. The Second Vatican Council, held from 1962-65, was
immensely significant for the universal Church and for the
publishing apostolate of the Society of St Paul. The various
constitutions, decrees and declarations of the Council were
printed, published and distributed by the Homebush community. Of
particular significance were the changes in the liturgy that
were introduced gradually in the years following the Council,
including the introduction of the use of vernacular language in
the liturgy. Throughout the late 1960s and early 70s Paulines
published hundreds of thousands of copies, in various editions,
of My Mass Companion, a pamphlet containing the ordinary parts
of the Mass with the peoples responses.
This expansion in printing and publishing activities was made
possible by the arrival of more Paulines from overseas.
Following his ordination in Rome in 1961, Fr Michael Byrnes
returned to Australia in 1962. Shortly afterwards Br Paolo
Putti arrived from Italy, Br Fidelis Kottoor from
India and Fr Isidore Selvo from the Philippines.
With the arrival of Br Lorenzo Mantovani in 1968, Fr
Paul Marzilli in 1969 and Br John Ferrari in 1970 a
greater degree of stability and organization became possible.
The two Brothers were able to strengthen the printing plant with
their expertise while Fr Paul Marzilli became Master of Novices
for a number of young men who had entered the congregation. A
number of these served for some years, making a generous
contribution to the community, before deciding to leave. Two
Australians who entered the congregation in the late 1960s
completed their formation and continue to serve the congregation
in Australia today in various capacities – Br Noel Bagnall and
Fr Michael Goonan.
During the 1960s the small book distribution centre that had
begun in Cusa House in 1953 moved to larger premises in the
Queen Victoria Building in George St, Sydney. Stocking a greater
range of titles this became the first St Paul Book Centre, under
the management of Fr Selvo. In 1970 the Centre was relocated to
the Haymarket end of George St and the following year its
management was transferred to the Daughters of St Paul. The
Daughters continue to operate the Centre to this day. Now called
Pauline Books and Media, it operates in spacious premises in
Castlereagh St, Sydney.
The 1960s also saw the expansion of the Society of St Paul to
Melbourne. In 1962 Fr Bernard Gnata went to Melbourne to see
what possibilities were there. He rented a house in Drummond
Street, Carlton, where he commenced an apostolate of importing
and distributing Famiglia Cristiana, a very successful family
magazine published by the Society of St Paul in Italy. The ready
availability of this magazine in Australia was much appreciated
by many of the Italians who had migrated here in the 1950s and
60s. In 1969 Fr Joseph Chircop from Malta joined Fr Bernard in
Melbourne. Previously Fr Joseph had served as a missionary in
India. Satisfied that the Melbourne mission was in good hands Fr
Bernard, who had opened the first house in Sydney in 1953,
returned to his native Italy in 1971 where he died a year later.
The 1970s
The 1970s were years of significant development for the
apostolic activities of the Society of St Paul.
Many new titles were published by the Sydney community. Notable
Australian writers like Kevin O’Shea CSsR and Paul Duffy SJ had
works published by St Pauls. Australian editions of major
international works such a Bernard Haring’s three volume work on
moral theology, Free and Faithful in Christ were also published.
(In the years since many notable Australian writers, theologians
and biblical scholars have had works published by St Pauls
Publications.)
With the publishing expanding, the original printing equipment
was replaced by the latest machines and a larger printing
building was constructed, along with a new residence to replace
two older houses on the property. In 1978 Fr Paul Careddu
joined the Sydney community and in the same year Br James Uppani,
an experienced offset printer, came from India to assist with
the developing printery.
Development was also taking place in Melbourne. In 1970 the
Society purchased a 15 acre property in the outer Melbourne
suburb of Scoresby (later called Wantirna Sth), where work
commenced on a house of formation. Tragically, in January 1972,
while the house was being constructed, Br Alphonus Panaro
was killed in a tractor accident. This hardworking brother, who
as a young man had survived a massive fall from the choir loft
of the Society of St Pauls’s Church in Alba, Italy, and who had
survived the oppression of the Communists in China in the 1950s,
was the first Pauline to die on Australian soil. He is buried in
the Carlton General Cemetery in Melbourne.
Shortly afterwards, Br Jospeh Barbieri arrived in Melbourne to
form the initial Scoresby community with Fr Joseph Chircop and
two students, Michael Goonan and Leo Orland.
Though the focus of the house was formation, a small printery
was set up in a shed on the property and some commercial
printing was undertaken to help pay the bills, a course of
action adopted by most Pauline communities, including the
Homebush community, in their early years. In 1974 the community
began publishing Our Sunday Celebration, a bulletin for parishes
containing information about the liturgy of the Sunday.
Beginning with subscriptions from just a handful of parishes the
bulletin’s circulation grew steadily. Later a second bulletin,
focusing of the Liturgy of the Word, called The Saving Word, was
commenced. These two bulletins continue to this day with
approximately 100,000 copies being circulated to about 350
parishes around Australia each week.
In 1977 a small audio-visual apostolate was established in
Scoresby producing talks and music on cassette. It continued for
some years before a scarcity of personnel necessitated its
closure.
The 1980s
The period from the mid seventies to the late eighties saw an
ongoing consolidation of the congregation and its activities in
Australia, The greater facility of travel opened possibilities
for the interchange of members. Gradually, the first members to
come to Australia who were mostly Italian were replaced by other
members coming from Asia, most notably from India and the
Philippines. Fr Andrew Pudussery arrived from India in
1982. Nestor Candado was the first Filipino-born member
to be assigned to Australia. He was still a student for the
priesthood when he arrived in December 1981 and was ordained in
St Jude’s Church in Scoresby in December 1983. Br Domingo Vargas
arrived in Australia from the Philippines in 1984 to be followed
in 1989 by two more students from the Philippines, Norman Pena
and Noel Magbanua. One year previously Br Stephen Scalise from
the United States joined the Strathfield community.
In 1980 Fr Mario Gandolfi came to Australia for one year
as the Delegate of the Superior General with authority to
coordinate the activities of the houses of Sydney and Melbourne.
Until then both houses were directly dependent on the General
Government in Rome with only a loose internal relation. A year
later Fr Peter Campus arrived in Australia to take on the
role of Delegate of the Superior General. A native of Sardinia
in Italy, Fr Campus had served in the Philippines for many years.
On his arrival, Fr Campus was amazed to find that the Wantirna
Sth printery was housed in what was little more than a shed.
With the Sunday bulletins prospering, the tiny printery had
become cramped and uncomfortable. He authorized the construction
of an apostolic building on the Scoresby property that would
house a printing plant and administration offices. This building
was blessed by the Superior General, Fr Renato Perino, in
December 1983, on the day of the First Mass of Fr Nestor.
Shortly afterwards Fr Campus was assigned back to Italy where he
was involved in the management of the Pauline periodicals in
Milan. Later he would be appointed to the General Government of
the Society of St Paul and in April 1998 he was elected the
sixth Superior General of the congregation, an office he
currently holds.
Fr Campus was replaced by Fr Gabrielle Di Giovannantonio
who unfortunately was found to be terminally ill with cancer
shortly after his arrival in Australia. In December 1985 Fr
Michael Goonan was appointed Delegate of the Superior General
for Australia and in 1988 the two houses in Australia were
formed into self-governing Region of the congregation with Fr
Michael appointed the first Regional Superior.
The growing unification of the two houses led to a better
co-ordination of apostolic activities. By the mid-1980s the
Society of St Paul was operating two large printeries in
Australia. A decision was taken to close the printery in
Homebush and consolidate all printing activities in the new
printery in Wantirna Sth, Melbourne. Homebush would continue to
operate as a publishing house but all printing would be done in
Melbourne. New machines were purchased for the Melbourne
printery. The first book to roll off the new press was The Pope
in Australia, a collection of the talks and homilies given by
the Pope during his historic visit to Australia in 1986. Fifteen
thousand copies of the book were sold within three months of the
Pope’s visit. In 1989 Fr Bruno Colombari arrived in
Melbourne from Italy. His first task was to oversee the creative
design and layout of the publications.
The 1990s to the present
In 1991 Fr Andrew Pudussery was appointed Regional Superior of
the Australian Region, to be followed in 1997 by Fr Nestor
Candado. More recently Fr Michael Goonan has resumed the role.
In 1993 the Society closed its printing plant at its Melbourne
house. In the space of six years the Paulines went from
operating two large printeries in Australia to operating none.
In this it was replicating a trend that was occurring in Pauline
Houses throughout the world. With fewer vocations and members
ageing there were no longer sufficient able-bodied members in
the congregation to undertake the heavy work of the printing
plant. As well printing equipment had become very high-tech and
expensive, and it was more cost effective to outsource the
printing of books. Most significantly, however, it was
recognized that members of the congregation should direct their
energies into the creative, phases of the apostolate (editorial,
design) and into the promotion and diffusion of religious
materials. The actual printing of books and bulletins could be
entrusted safely to commercial companies.
Following the closure of the Melbourne printery the large
property at Wantirna Sth was sold and the Melbourne community
transferred to a house that had been purchased much closer to
the city in the suburb of Kew. The community was entrusted with
the task of vocations’ promotion and the promotion of the
congregation’s publications.
The closure of the printery and house at Wantirna Sth had
created the space for a new apostolic initiative to emerge and
that duly happened in December, 1995, when the Archbishop of
Brisbane invited the Society of St Paul to take over the
operation of the Archdiocese’s book centre located near the
Cathedral. In early 1995 Fr Bruno Colombari and Deacon
Norman Pena moved to Brisbane and in May of that year, St
Paul’s Book Centre was blessed and officially opened by
Archbishop John Bathersby. Fathers Bruno and Norman, the
founding members of the Brisbane community, were to remain
together in Brisbane building up the book centre until early
1999 when Fr Norman left for Rome to undertake further studies.
He was replaced by Fr Ruben Nadalich who had recently
arrived from Argentina. In 1999 the Society purchased an
apartment for the community in the Brisbane CBD, within walking
distance of the book centre.
The Brisbane book centere has proved a very positive activity
for the congregation and a service much appreciated by the
people of Queensland. It was through St Pauls Book Centre that a
young Brisbane man, Christopher Brennan, came to know of the
Society of St Paul. Chris entered the congregation in 1998 and
is continuing his formation in Sydney where he assists also in
the editorial department.
In time it became apparent that the successful establishment of
a new house and book centre in Brisbane called for a
reassessment of the congregation’s resources and possibilities
in Australia. It was decided to close the house in Melbourne to
enable a concentration of apostolic energies in the Sydney
publishing house and the Brisbane book centre. The house of Kew
was sold in late 2002. The Society’s presence is not, however,
completely gone from Melbourne as Br Jospeh Barbieri, a member
of the Melbourne community since 1972, continues to live there
and other members of the Society of St Paul visit regularly for
reasons of apostolate and for functions associated with the
Pauline family.
Throughout the 1990s and to the present day, the publishing
activities of the Sydney community continued, with many books by
Australian authors being published along with a number of
international co-publications. A major project was the
publication of the Australian edition of The Catechism of the
Catholic Church in 1995. The publication of Sunday bulletins and
Church documents continue to be important activities, overseen
currently by the bulletins and documents editor, Fr Michael
Byrnes. Recently the Catholic Bishops have asked St Pauls to be
involved in liturgical publishing. The Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults and Pastoral Care of the Sick will be the
first two liturgical texts to be published on behalf of the
Bishops’ Conference by St Pauls.
For the Society of St Paul, as for all religious congregations,
the administration of apostolic activities became much more
complex in the nineties as a result of changes in government
legislation and the greater involvement of lay people in
apostolic activities. Br Noel Bagnall has played a major role in
restructuring the apostolic administration, a task continued
today by Fr Nestor Candado. Since his return from Rome, Fr
Norman Pena has fulfilled an important role in leading the
congregation through the intricacies of the information
technology revolution.
In recent years the Australian Region has assisted Paulines from
Korea and Japan to learn English. It has been commonplace for
the Strathfield community to have one and sometimes two members
from these countries with us for a year or two to learn English
and experience a different cultural setting. Their presence
provides vitality and new vision to the community. Presently the
community is hosting Cleric Silvano Han from Korea.
The last decade has seen a much greater involvement of other
religious and lay people in our apostolic activities, which is
now greatly dependent on their collaboration for its continued
development. The story of the last ten years of the Society of
St Paul in Australia would be incomplete if we failed to
acknowledge the generous contribution these collaborators make
to our life and mission. We also acknowledge the great help
given to us in our early days by a number of Italian families,
themselves immigrants trying to establish a new life in this
country but always willing to help the ‘Paolini’ in any way they
could. We are also in the debt of many religious congregations,
bishops, clergy and lay people who have helped us in various
ways over the past fifty years. Their names are too many to
record and sadly, some have surely been forgotten. But their
names are writ in heaven. They are all a part of our story and
we remember them with gratitude.
On 27 April 2003, Fr James Alberione, the founder of the Society
of St Paul and of the Pauline Family, was beatified by Pope John
Paul II. Many people chose the occasion to express their
congratulations to us and their appreciation of the contribution
we make to the life of the Australian Church. The Society of St
Paul has remained a small congregation in Australia thoughout
its fifty years in this country but by the grace of God and with
the help of many people we have made a contribution to the life
of the local Church and we hope we can continue to do so for
many years to come. For as long as we can, we will continue to
be faithful to the task entrusted to us by our founder, Blessed
James Alberione, ‘to live and give to the world Jesus Christ,
the Way, the Truth and Life’.
Michael Goonan SSP
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