FRIAR Paul Smith, provincial of the Franciscan Friars’ Holy Spirit province of Australia-New Zealand, was in Brisbane recently to take part in the official blessing and opening of new classrooms and refurbished areas at Padua College, Kedron.
Along with the official side of things the visit also provided Friar Paul with an opportunity to catch up on what was happening around his old Alma Mater.
Friar Paul grew up in Wavell Heights, Brisbane, just down the road from Padua College.
“I came across here in Grade Five which would have been in 1965 and went through Padua College until 1972,” he said.
Friar Smith said unbeknown to him his early education with the Presentation Sisters’ Our Lady of the Angels School, Wavell Heights, also had links to the Franciscan Friars.
The school was named after the small chapel in Assisi from where St Francis sent his friars on mission and the parish church was named after a Franciscan saint, St Paschal Baylon.
“Wavell Heights was actually founded by the Franciscans. It was an outstation church of the Kedron parish for about ten years, became its own parish in 1946, so I didn’t know that I was at a school that had a very rich Franciscan heritage in its title until much later on,” he said.
Friar Paul told Padua students on June 10, during the opening of their new facilities, that their college stood on “holy ground”.
“We call this holy ground not only because of the words of blessing that we have used and the holy water that was sprinkled in each classroom but because this is a special centre of education and learning named after St Anthony of Padua who lived 800 years ago and still has his influence amongst us today,” he said.
“It is also a holy place because of St Francis of Assisi whom you have heard about and learned about so much.
“St Francis, who lived a long time ago, had very special values of compassion, care for creation and all those important things that make our world a better place.”
Friar Paul said it was that Franciscan spirit that inspired him to join the order in 1973, the year after leaving Padua College.
“I think I came to join the Franciscans knowing more about the Franciscans than about St Francis,” he said.
“(That’s not to say) we didn’t learn about St Francis at school but it was a case of we saw the friars doing the work of St Francis in the spirit of St Francis and that’s what really inspired me, and there would be several Franciscans who particularly inspired me both in the Eastern Campus and across the road in the Western Campus (of Padua College).”
The provincial said he was probably one of the last of those to join the order straight out of high school – “which at that time was acceptable but later on it was encouraged that people would have some sort of work experience (and) discernment after leaving school”.
That first year as a postulant was spent at the La Verna retreat centre in Melbourne before moving to “Maryfields” (near Campbelltown, Sydney) in 1974 as a novice.
Friar Paul said it was then back to Melbourne to the Yarra Theological Union for his training to priesthood and pastoral ministry.
“I made my final profession of vows as a Franciscan on July 1, 1979 here at the Little Flower Church, Kedron, and was then ordained priest on August 29, 1980, also here at the Little Flower Church,” he said.
The friar said he had experienced a varied ministry life since being ordained.
“I spent a couple of years working in parish ministry in Sydney and then in school retreat ministry, also in Sydney, and for a period of about 12 years I was the vocations director for the order in Australia and later involved in provincial administration,” he said.
Friar Paul was elected provincial at the provincial chapter in 2007.
The Holy Spirit province takes in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia, and Friar Paul said Australian Franciscans were represented in all those countries, with about 120 friars throughout the province.
“Singapore and Malaysia is developing its own entity now because there are a lot of young men joining the order up there but in Australia there would be about 75 Franciscans and in New Zealand we have eight,” he said.
“My ministry, my work, is to keep in contact with those friars, to support and encourage them, to visit their ministries and their friaries and, with the provincial council, to set directions for the province.”
Friar Paul said he enjoyed visiting Brisbane and returning to Padua College whenever possible.
“I would always be here for significant functions at Padua such as the opening of the school year, St Anthony Day, St Francis Day, the end-of-the-year prize-giving ceremonies and any opportunities I can have to come back to the school,” he said.
“I just have a special affection for the place because of it’s part in my history and also it’s just incredible to see the growth that has happened since 1964.”
The northside of Brisbane also has the added attraction of still being home to Friar Paul’s two brothers.
“Actually they both live in the same street so when I come home for holidays or visits I can stay in one place and go and visit my other brother for meals and sometimes I swap over in terms of staying with the families,” he said.
When it comes to choosing significant spiritual moments of his life as a Franciscan, Friar Paul said one of the most memorable highlights was his first visit to Assisi in Italy.
“Certainly the first visit was a very significant experience for me, just in terms of being in a place where the spirit of St Francis came alive – that was a highlight for me,” he said.
“But the spirit of St Francis is not only found in Assisi, it’s alive here at Padua.”
