An ordained priest in the Sydney Archdiocese, Fr John says his vocation for overseas mission was nurtured in him as a boy by an aunt who was a Franciscan Missionary of Mary. “She was in Sri Lanka and our family kept a correspondence with her throughout the years.”
Nevertheless as a parish priest in Sydney he did not initially feel the call to mission overseas. ”That came to me later. But its persistence led me to discern whether this idea had been sent from God.” A retreat with the MSC priests at Douglas Park, south of Sydney, convinced him of his calling. He returned to Sydney to seek Cardinal Freeman’s permission to go on mission. “He graciously accepted my request.”
Soon afterwards Fr John was in dialogue with the Columban Mission Society about accompanying them on a mission to South America. “I remember they asked me if would like to go to Peru or Chile. It wasn’t a question I’d even anticipated. I knew only that I wanted to mission. ”
It was to Peru that Fr John journeyed. Firstly with the Columbans in Lima, and then to the town of Sicuani located in the mountainous country 3500 metres above sea level. Here Fr John’s ministry included the outlying ‘parcialidades’, communities of indigenous people who speak their own language of Quechua. “It is a wild place where one had to cross mountain rivers and traverse gorges to reach the people,” he says. “There hadn’t been a priest there for 20 years.”
Later Fr John relocated to the city of Iquitos in the Vicariate of Inquitos, in the heart of the Amazon Basin. Iquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest, located on the banks of the Amazon River. With a population of half a million people it is world renowned as the most populous city that cannot be reached by road. “The only way is by airplane or boat,” says Fr John.
“In my parish of Santa Rosa of Lima I minister to about 3,000 families. I am assisted by two Peruvian sisters, and two novices,” says Fr John.”The people are very outgoing and lively, music and singing comes naturally to them and that joy is reflected in the liturgy.” Although he is a long way from Sydney he has twice been visited by Sydney’s bishop. Once, in 1995, by Cardinal Clancy and last year by Cardinal Pell, who celebrated many weddings and “baptised hundreds” during his stay.
Catholic Mission internationally supports the Vicariate through its work with Communities, Church Leaders and Children. Some of the projects include supporting the building of five chapels along the Amazon River, four orphanages, and catechism formation for young adults.
Fr John has seen many changes in Iquitos since he arrived, including the establishment of a seminary and a convent for an enclosed order of nuns. Fr John is one of a multinational contingent of priests and religious who have come to Iquitos on mission from countries as diverse as England, Spain, Poland, the Philippines, Malta, Indonesia, Senegal and Benin.
“The Vicariate is still a missionary territory,” he says. “It will take years to get the values that our faith implies firmly planted in the hearts and minds of the people. Every day is another step towards bringing the Word of God to the people of the Amazon.”
You can support the work of Australian missionaries like Father John Andersen by donating to one of Catholic Mission’s projects. Our ministries for Children, Communities and Church Leaders deal directly with communities in need. Our work is both Faith and Action in the world, as our projects support the spiritual and human needs of people in over 160 countries, including Peru.
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Father John Andersen baptises a Peruvian soldier. |
See our profile of Peru |
