Sydney
6 January 2002
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Brothers celebrate 200 years of religious life
Brothers in arms - cutting their golden jubilee cake. From left: Br Fabian Hynes, Br John Gibson, Br William Lebler and Br Raphael Dillon.
Four members of the Hospitaller Order of St John of God celebrated their golden jubilees together - just as they had celebrated their first professions 50 years ago.
Br John Gibson, William Lebler, Raphael Dillon and Fabian Hynes made their simple vows in the Order at Morisset in 1951 - four years after it was established in Australia from Ireland. So together they have devoted 200 years to religious life.
Br John Gibson first felt called into the life when reading this newspaper as a student at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Bowral.
“I was always inclined to helping people and while at school I read in The Catholic Weekly about (the Brothers) coming to Australia.
“It was exciting to be a pioneer and grow with the Order as it was growing,” he says. “It was quite challenging as well.”
Br John trained as a general nurse before serving as a local superior in New Zealand and then as a scholastic master at Richmond, where he supported novices in their studies.
He was provincial of the Order’s Australasian Province in 1968-74 and was ordained a priest in 1980, although he keeps the title of Brother.
Since then he has served in various leadership, formation and chaplaincy roles and today is chaplain for the St John of God Hospital and Santa Sabina College.
Br William Lebler also found the order through Catholic literature - the Annals magazine.
Unlike Br John, he had already felt the call to religious life and begun making inquiries.
He took time before the milestone anniversary for reflection and found it “a very moving experience”.
“My whole life kind of flashed before me in slow motion,” he says. “And I’d do the same thing over again.”
Br Williams says his “fantastic” home life as a child growing up in inner city Brisbane prepared him for his vocation.
He founded the Rohanoka Recovery Centre for recovering drug and alchohol addicts in the Eastern Highlands district of Papua New Guinea.
He returned only three years ago but is still working and also finds time to play with computers and on the piano. At 80, Br William has no intention of taking it easy.
“I’m very, very proud to be a St John of God brother,” he says. “It’s worthwhile work and the man himself was a fantastic man. He knew what suffering was.
“You’ve got to know what suffering is, or you can’t work with (people who are suffering),” he says.
Br Fabian Hynes was a pharmacist before entering religious life. He was seconded to the Vatican Pharmacy in Rome in 1955.
He is currently prior and director of the pharmacy and as general procurator of the Order is responsible for the official link between the Order and the Holy See.
Br Raphael Dillon trained as a psychiatric nurse and was then seconded to the Order’s American Province in 1960 where he was appointed scholastic master.
Back in Australia in 1962 he worked with intellectually handicapped boys and youth.
He also worked as chaplain in the St John of God Holy Family Home for the Aged in Hastings, New Zealand.
The Brothers renewed their vows before Bishop Cremin at St Mary’s parish church, Concord, and gathered afterwards with brethren, family and friends.