A man of words and people - Rosie Hoban

Rosie Hoban catches up with former Madonna editor, Fr Patrick O’Sullivan, and hears what he has been doing since then.

Fr Patrick O’Sullivan, like many priests and women religious before him, does the work asked of him. Where there has been a need, whether it was in Rome, Africa or at home, he has willingly filled it. Yet, throughout his career there have been two constants – words and young people. Many of his words, collected and published in a new book, Prayer and Relationships: Staying Connected: An Ignatian Perspective, have been spoken at retreats, or to young lay people and to seminarians the world over during the past four decades.

The new book is all about our relationship with God and this relationship, according to Patrick, must be at the heart of all that we do. But we have to create a space in our lives for the relationship with God to grow and be sustained.

 ‘God the Father has his own personal space, and his favourite personal space is our heart’, writes Patrick.

‘There are simple moments in our lives when we have the opportunity to make space for the world of faith. And the more this world of faith becomes a motive for what we do, the deeper our relationship with the Trinity takes root in our heart.’

The book, while not written to a theme, follows the sequence of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius. Prayer and Relationships: Staying Connected: An Ignatian Perspective is Patrick’s third book. It follows on from, Sure Beats Selling Cardigans and God Knows How to Come Back Home.

As already mentioned, many of the articles and homilies that appear in the book have been heard by groups of people in some part of the world where Patrick has worked. Some of the inspiration for his articles and homilies come from the young men and women around him. A recent homily was inspired by an email message he received from a friend, retelling another story. It was about a survey of four to six year old children who were asked, ‘what is love’. One child responded that when a person loves you the way they say your name is different and ‘you know your name is safe in their mouth’. It prompted a few words on love.

Patrick has no formula for a successful homily, though he believes brevity is important. One listener recently pointed out that his homily had lasted just one minute and 40 seconds. Looking back over his years of articles and homilies he can see many of the same thoughts appear at different points and places in his life. What is apparent in the book is a growing emphasis on relationships.

One of Patrick’s early inspirations was the Belgian priest, Fr Damian, who in the 1800s went to care for the lepers on the Hawaiian island of Molokai.

‘I remember as a child telling my mother that I was going to be like St Damian, become a doctor, work in a leper colony and go to heaven’, he says. If only it were so easy!!

During his school years and after he left school Patrick thought of becoming a priest and often sought the counsel of his Uncle Kevin who was a priest and who taught seminarians.

‘I used to ask Uncle Kevin if it was difficult being a priest and was he happy. He never gave me a straight answer so I had trouble deciding.’ But Patrick eventually did make up his mind and he followed in his uncle’s footsteps and joined the Jesuits.

He taught at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview, in Sydney for three years, then pursued theology studies and ordination in 1962. By then he had completed an MA in Philosophy from Melbourne University. He later did a PhD in Philosophy at Queensland University.

Over the past 40 years his appointments have included Dean of Newman College, Melbourne; Dean and University Chaplain at St Thomas More College, Perth; Vice Rector and University Chaplain at University of Queensland and Rector of Students at Campion College, Melbourne. From 1973–79 he was Provincial of the Jesuit Order in Australia and then Secretary for the Christian Life Communities in Rome, followed by a stint as Pastoral Assistant for the Jesuit Refugee Service, East Africa. He also edited Madonna for several years.

The chance to work with young people has always been welcomed.
‘I find young people absolutely delightful to work with’, Patrick says, ‘because they test our reality. People say laughter is a sign of the spirit and laughter seems to come so easily to a young person.’

On the question of whether working with young people helps fill the gap that a celibate life creates, Patrick’s view is that, ‘not having a wife and children is a big sacrifice and leaves a gap that nothing can fill. Even Jesus does not fill the gap, but he can draw life out of it if we view the gap, not with regret but, as the cost of discipleship’.

One of Patrick’s most challenging posts was in Africa with the Jesuit Refugee Services in 1994. It was during this time that he remembers questioning God’s love for people who were forced to live in such poverty and hardship. He got through the difficulty by staying and working with the people until he was asked to come back to Australia and take up another position. That other position was as instructor to Jesuit seminarians at Pymble for almost ten years. But he got the chance to return to Africa in 2006 to work at a Jesuit retreat house in Nairobi. Again he was challenged.

‘I remember giving a retreat to a young seminarian who told me that the happiest time of his life was when he was a shepherd from the age of six until he was twelve years old. He had one lot of clothes and lived in the fields. How could I talk to him about poverty?’

Patrick’s father and favourite politician was Senator Sir Neil O’Sullivan, who spent fifteen years in federal parliament. Growing up in the O’Sullivan household meant rubbing shoulders with the likes of Sir Robert Menzies and other colourful and iconic Australian characters.

Neil O’Sullivan was remembered by his colleagues as a ‘generous, calm and persuasive man who gave his name and energy to charitable causes’. Patrick remembers him as a man who could have a decent row in Parliament, but at the end of the day the warring factions would gather to sort out what was best for the country and proceed from there. Patrick, when asked to name a current favourite politician, is stuck. He is not alone.

Patrick hesitates again when asked how he would like to be remembered.

‘As a loving person’, he says.
Pat O’Sullivan’s new book, Prayer and Relationships, is available for $22.00 (incl p&p) from Book Publisher, PO Box 44, East Kew VIC 3102.