Assumption Catholic Church
323 West Illinois Street - Chicago IL 60654
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Pastor's Messages Fr. Joseph Chamblain, O.S.M. Pastor
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| 10/18/2026 | Fr. Joseph Chamblain, OSM |
| OFFERING AN ACCOUNT OF MY ABSENCE | |
According to legend, the notorious twentieth century bank robber Willie Sutton was once asked why he robbed banks. His answer was, "Because that's where the money is." Sometimes the simplest answer is the best. Two years ago when I mentioned at Sunday Mass that I was just back from Perth, Australia, someone after Mass asked, "Why did you go there? Nobody goes there." The answer is, "Because that's where the Servite Friars are."
In my part-time job as Assistant Provincial, I visit one of our Servite Delegation each year. Last year it was South Africa; this year it was back to western Australia, where we have eleven friars in three communities. Visitors normally head for the east coast of Australia, which is much closer to the United States and where the major tourist cities of Sydney and Melbourne are located. Perth is on the other side of the great Australian desert, thousands of miles further away. Perth is about as far away from Chicago as one can get without going into outer space.
The Servites have been in Australia since 1951 (75 years), which is about when Western Australia began to experience a significant population growth. Various precious metals were discovered, and people came to work in the mines. This was why the Servites headed for the west coast in the first place. There was a real need for a Catholic presence there. Fr. James Keane, an American Servite and a member of the Servite General Council in Rome made the contact with the Archbishop of Perth about our Servites coming there. Originally the friars were to come from Italy, but when that failed to materialize, the United States provinces stepped in.
The first Servite foundation was at St. Anthony Parish in Wanneroo, a small farming community far outside of Perth. Lots of land was acquired around the church, with some of it intended for a high school. But it soon became obvious that the need for such a school was far into the future; so the next Servite priory was established at Tuart Hill, much closer to the center of Perth. The Archbishop granted the Servites the care of the parish of St. Denis nearby and authorized the establishment of a high school, which opened as Servite College in 1958. For about fifty years, the Servites had a foundation in Melbourne on the east coast, but that community closed several years ago.
At its peak the Servite Delegation in Australia had fifteen friars. The eleven friars who are there today come from all over the world: United States, Africa, Philippines, India, as well as Australia. The friars staff three parishes, continue to operate the high school, and provide the Catholic chaplaincy at a large hospital. Catholic schools are thriving in Australia, primarily because about 75% of their funding comes from government grants. Catholic schools educate 20% of the population in a country that is not historically Catholic and is more secularized than the United States. With government funding also comes government oversight. It has been said that Australians are the most over-regulated people on earth, and sometimes several arms of the national government do not agree on the proper course of action. As the late Colonel Parker, Elvis' manager, once said, "If I ever write a book, it's going to be titled, How Much Does It Cost When It's Free?"
Government regulation also comes into play for that large tract of land adjacent to St. Anthony's Parish in Wanneroo. The town of Wanneroo is a busy commercial and residential center, bearing no resemblance to the small farming community from 75 years ago. St. Anthony's is a large active parish, and the adjacent land has become quite valuable. But Australia is a place where environmental concerns are taken seriously, and several protected species live within this wilderness area near the center of town. Negotiations are underway as to how much of the land can be developed. A final irony is that one of the interested parties for the land is the Archdiocese of Perth. They want to put a high school on part of the land, which was the original plan of the Servites 75 years ago.
Fr. Smith and I attended the two-day meeting of the Delegation and then spent time with each of their friars checking on their wellbeing and their ministry. That covered my seven days in Australia, bracketed by 33 hours each way in airplanes and airports. It was nice to get home last weekend to bless pets, bless runners, officiate at a couple of weddings, and celebrate Mass with you. This coming week I hope to take a few days actual vacation.
Fr. Joe
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