Society Matters | Volume 26 No. 2 | Winter 2016

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Volume 26 No. 2 | Winter 2016 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 Br Maurice Taylor SVD
– teacher, administrator, man of prayer
Br Maurice Taylor SVD
has been remembered as
an exemplary religious,
a dedicated teacher and
administrator, but also as a
man of deep prayerfulness.
Br Maurice, whose health began to decline about four
years ago, died in hospital in Sydney in March, at the age
of 81, with his last words to a nurse at his retirement village
being: “I am at peace.”
Br Maurice Whelan Taylor SVD was born on 7th December,
1934 in Paddington, Sydney. He was the second son of
Wilbred and Mary Taylor. Maurice finished high School in
1951. He went on to achieve a NSW Diploma at the Guild
Teachers’ College in 1968. Then in 1994 he graduated from
the Australian Catholic University with a Graduate Diploma
of Arts, majoring in Religious education.
Maurice entered religious life in 1962. He originally joined
the Society of St Gerard Majella (SSG), an Australian order,
specializing in teaching religion to Catholic students in
Government schools. This teaching order was dissolved in
1993. At that time, Br Maurice was the Superior General of
the Society. It was after this that he approached the SVDs
with a request to be accepted into our Society.
For three decades Maurice was an exemplary religious as
he worked in his teaching ministry. He was greatly admired
for his teaching skills and he was good at administration.
He showed remarkable courage in working in this ministry
of religious education for Catholic Students in Government
schools. Br Maurice worked in the outer western region
of Sydney from 1966-1978. He then moved to Bunbury
Diocese in Western Australia and continued this difficult
work from 1979-1987. Subsequently Br Maurice worked as
an administrator for five years in the Diocese of Parramatta
from 1988 to 1993, co-ordinating the Religious Education
Apostolate in the government schools of the diocese
The Bishop at the time, Bishop Bede Heather, described
Br Maurice as a man who “carried out his duties faithfully
and humbly. He lives a simple style of life, in which he
seeks little for himself beyond what is necessary for his own
livelihood and ministry. He shows zeal in applying himself
to the apostolate” Br Maurice enriched the SVD AUS
Province with those very qualities noted by Bishop Heather.
Throughout his life, Maurice showed leadership and
compassion to those to whom he ministered. He was
always a reliable man, a man of discernment and great
resolve with a wonderful sense of humour. He was deeply
spiritual and ever ready to serve. He was appreciated for
his many fine qualities, the greatest of which was humility.
He could never do enough for those he served, and for his
community.
Maurice remained deeply grateful that he was accepted
into the Society of the Divine Word in 1995. In Melbourne
Maurice was very welcome in the formation of SVD
brothers, first at Dorish Maru College, then at Ben Seng
House in Mitcham which later on moved to Boronia.
Maurice subjected himself to a rather severe prayer and
meditation routine. In his prayerfulness he was a wonderful
role model for the young brothers, language students and
priests staying in the same house.
In Boronia Br Maurice became involved in prayer and
meditation groups active in the local St Joseph’s Parish.
The depth of his influence became clear only when the Ben
Seng Community was dissolved in 2005 and Br Maurice
left for Marsfield in Sydney. Many of the parishioners were
devastated.
Br Maurice had a curious mind; he was always interested
in learning. In his retired years he would take himself off
by public transport to attend talks and discussions around
Sydney, and again he joined in Meditative Contemplative
Prayer Groups. He had a great belief in the power of prayer.
Maurice’s health began to really decline about four years
ago. He was taken care of for a short period in Mary Potter
Nursing Home and more recently at Southern Cross
Apartments, where he was deeply grateful that he had
such a beautiful room with a view. The care was excellent.
The SVD Community is very grateful for all the loving care
shown to Maurice. Recently one nurse had started coming
often for a personal blessing from him. It was moving to
see him praying over her as an old father over his child. She
is a Buddhist.
One of the nurses had seen Maurice go off in the
ambulance for his last journey to hospital. She was moved
to tears when told about his passing. She said: “His last
words were “I am at peace”. By the grace of God, Br
Maurice had really found a steady home where he could be
at peace. He loved quoting St Julian of Norwich: “All shall
be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things shall
be well”.
Maurice, our dear brother, dear friend and spiritual guide
to many, you have finished your laborious pilgrimage here
on earth and reached the summit of your Mount Horeb, the
Mountain of God, union with God in whom you are finding
your completion, perfect wholeness. Maurice, pray for us.