German Missionaries in Australia

Albert Scherzinger joined the Pallottines in Limburg in 1909, two years after Alfons Scherzinger, also from Vöhrenbach and five years his senior, had joined as a Brother. Br. Alfons was a gifted sculptor and had a workshop in Olpe where he produced sacral ornamentations. Albert was ordained in Limburg in 1915 and taught at various Pallottine colleges before he came to Australia.

Fr. Albert and Fr. Benedikt Püsken were the first German Pallottines to be admitted to Australia since the outbreak of World War I. Their visas were held up until January 1925 and they were received into Broome with a ‘spontaneous triumphal welcome’.¹

From 1928 to 1932 Scherzinger was stationed at Carnarvon, but was recalled because it was not going to be recognized as part of the vicariate and the Presentation Sisters there were not cooperative, refusing to include him in the meals they prepared for themselves and the orphanage children. Scherzinger was posted to Tardun farm with responsibility for the Morawa district.²

During World War II he was one of the German missionaries arrested and goaled in Broome for a week. Three staff, who had arrived from Germany more recently, including Fr. Leo Hornung, were sent south and placed under surveillance, but Fr. Scherzinger stayed in the Kimberley and helped to bury the bodies of 70 Dutch evacuees who were bombed in Broome on 2 March 1942.³

Bishop Prendiville arranged for a police presence at Beagle Bay to quell the rumours about ‘fifth column activities’ among German missionaries. He also asked the Pallottines to take on a new mission at Wandering Brook, and appointed a Board to supervise the mission. Fr. Scherzinger became its first superintendent, arriving in 1944 with three Brothers from Tardun, Paul Müller, Paul Ratjaski and Richard Besenfelder. They were allocated 24 Italian prisoners-of-war to assist with scrub clearing and building construction. In 1946 Fr. Scherzinger was posted to Derby and Fr. Leo Hornung, who was allowed to return to the north, replaced him at Wandering.

In 1948 Scherzinger was called to Melbourne as novice master. In the same year he was on his way to say morning mass at Caritas Christi when a car struck him just outside the gates of the Pallottine house. He sustained serious injuries from which he never quite recovered. He spent his last six years in the Caritas Christi hospice ministering to the sick.⁴