Society Matters | Volume 25 No. 2 | Winter 2015

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Volume 25 No. 2 | Winter 2015 8
Society Matters
A Newsletter of the Divine Word Missionaries Inc - Australia Province
Donations to the SVDAUS Province
Overseas Aid Fund can be made online at
or by mailing to
Divine Word Missionary Appeal Office,
Locked Bag 3, Epping NSW, 1710, Australia. svdaus @svdaus
RIP Fr Henryk Nikel –
missionary to Australia
and PNG
Fr Henryk (Henry) Nikel, a
missionary to Papua New Guinea
and Australia for many years,
died in his home country of
Poland on March 4, 2015 at the
age of 78.
Fr Henry had returned home to
take up his retirement at St Joseph Mission House
in Górna Grupa, in 2014.
He was born on December 21, 1937 in Rybnik,
Poland, to Leonard Nikel and Elisabeth, nee
Macura. After his matura exam in 1956, he entered
the Society of the Divine Word in Pieniezno, where
he started his spiritual and intellectual formation.
He entered the novitiate on September 8 of the
same year, also in Pieniezno, and on September
8, 1959, he pronounced his first vows. Fr Henry
took his final vows on September 8, 1963, and was
ordained a deacon on December 22 of the same
year. He was ordained a priest on May 10, 1964,
by Bishop Józef Drzazga of Warmia in Pieniezno.
After his ordination, he was sent for a pastoral
year to Rybnik. From 1965-1967, he was appointed
assistant of the parish priest of Saints Peter and
Paul in Pieniezno.
Fr Henry received his mission assignment for
Australia on September 13, 1967, and worked here
until 1971. Later on, he was sent to the mission
frontiers of Papua New Guinea, where he worked
for about 10 years. He returned to Australia in 1980
and took up pastoral work, among other things
working on behalf of the bishop of the Diocese of
Ballarat. For many years, he was served the Polish
community in Australia and also celebrated Masses
in Latin.
In January 2014, after many years of missionary
service, Fr Henry returned to the Polish Province
for his merited retirement. He took up residence
at the Mission House in Górna Grupa and, on May
10 of that year, along with his classmate, Fr Joseph
Sudolski, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of
priesthood. Fr Henry will be remembered as a
cheerful and friendly person, always open to other
people. His funeral was held at St Joseph Mission
House in Górna Grupa and he was buried at the
Mission House cemetery.
First funds already at work to
help the people of Vanuatu
The first instalment of funds has made its way from the SVD AUS
Province to cyclone-devastated Vanuatu and is already making a
difference to the lives of the local people who have lost so much.
Mission Secretary, Fr Truc Quoc Phan SVD, was accompanied to
Port Vila by Fr Olivier Noclam SVD, who is from Vanuatu, and then
made his way to outlying Tanna Island, which was one of the areas
worst hit by Cyclone Pam in March.
“This was the worst hit area,” Fr Truc says. “About 90 per cent of
people don’t have houses now. All the trees are bent and without
leaves and even the local church had its roof blown off.
“It’s a miracle that only five people living on Tanna Island died
in this terrible cyclone. But the people there are living in terrible
conditions. They don’t have electricity, safe water, or reasonable
shelters. It’s truly terrible for them.”
Fr Truc says his visit was designed to take a “first look” at the
situation and work out what aid is most urgently needed.
With no shops operating on Tanna Island, Fr Truc and Fr Olivier
ordered the necessary stock from Port Vila, but found shops there
were also out of stock, because of the great need.
“Luckily, we had a relative of Fr Olivier working in a warehouse in
Port Vila who eventually helped us order equipment such as nails
and tin roofing, and arranged for it to be sent to the people of the
parish on Tanna Island,” he says.
“I’m hoping that later this year we might be able to go back
there and rebuild the roof of the church but for this visit, we took
$20,000 of money to provide quick relief for the people.
“Our fundraising campaign for the people of Vanuatu is
continuing and we hope to return sometime in July to take a
second distribution of funds to help people rebuild their lives.”
If you wish to donate to the SVD Vanuatu Disaster Appeal, you
can do so securely by visiting or by mail to
Locked Bag 3, Epping, NSW, 1710.