German Missionaries in Australia

Josef Schüngel was the son of farmer Anton Schüngel and his wife Elizabeth née Leineweber in the Sauerland. After Volksschule he worked in an oil mill that processed rape seed and occasionally linseed.¹ From the nearby village of Hesborn six young men had joined the Pallottine Society, and Josef followed them at age 22. He received his habit in September 1928, and made his first profession in September 1930, one month before his posting to the Kimberley where he laboured for Bishop Raible's ambitious vision.

He travelled in company with Fr. Worms, Fr. Hügel and Brothers Anton Boettcher and Josef Tautz departing on 11 November 1930. During their stay in Rome, accommodated in the Pallottine Generalate, they had an audience with Pope Pius XI, attended high mass in St. Peter’s and experienced mass in the small cell with the vestments and chalice of their founder St. Vincent Pallotti.² In Genoa they boarded the German Lloyd ship Trier to Singapore, which carried nearly 100 missionaries, including some Irish Jesuits who taught them a little English. From Singapore they took the Minderoo to Broome and after a seven-week sea journey they were greeted by Fr. Raible on 17 December.³

Br. Schüngel spent Christmas at Beagle Bay mission and then took the boat to Geraldton, arriving on 24 January 1931 to be trucked to the new Tardun Farm. He made his eternal profession there on 24 September 1933.⁴

Three weeks later he undertook the ten-day journey to Beagle Bay with Bishop Raible, and after Christmas he was sent to the newly acquired Rockhole sheep station as farmer, cook and gardener.

When Fr. Worms was appointed as director of a new Pallottine training college in Melbourne, for which a house in Kew had been purchased in January 1937, Br. Schüngel was sent with him as cook and housekeeper.⁵

He acquired Australian citizenship shortly before World War II and was therefore not interned in 1940. Schüngel could travel freely and was posted to Tardun from 1940 to 1945, and to Wandering from 1945 to 1947.

In 1947 Schüngel was recalled to Kew as cook and housekeeper. In 1950 he was allowed to go to Europe for a holiday, his first in twenty years, and attended the attended the Beatification of Vincent Pallotti in Rome on 22nd January in 1950.

Schüngel worked at Kew until 1957, when a new house was purchased in Sydney's Strathfield. He became cook for the Sydney novices housed in Millgrove, and later (1975-1978) at Box Hill until he fell ill and had to be admitted to hospital and later recovered at Millgrove.

He returned to Limburg at age 82 in March 1987, where he continued to work in the dining room. With failing health he was admitted to the infirmary, where he died after a short illness.