Back in 1965 a young Vietnamese man, Peter Huan saw first hand the plight of the Indigenous mountain people of the Diocese of Kontum and how they were excluded from mainstream Vietnamese society.This empathy was to return many years later when Father Peter Huan MSC would return to work with a different indigenous community excluded from mainstream society in many ways – the indigenous community on Bathurst Island right here in Australia.

Bathurst Island is part of the Tiwi Islands just north of Darwin. Before he reached the Tiwi Islands Father Huan’s life had many chapters to unfold. Father Peter Huan began his studies as a priest in the major seminary in Kontum, Vietnam, but was imprisoned by the government back in 1979 for one year because of his work with the Church.

Father Peter’s eldest brother was also imprisoned for three months due to his association with a priest, his own brother.Father Peter spent three months in a cell just three by four metres, not big by any stretch of the imagination, but he shared this cell with 60 people.

During his time in prison, Father Peter was beaten severely, many times.Forced by the government to leave Vietnam in 1981, Father Peter originally thought he would like to go to Holland, but God had other plans with his visa applications rejected three times.This was when he knew he should come to Australia, first settling in Melbourne, then Sydney where he finished his theological studies with the MSCs.

Spending time in various parts of Australia, Father Peter spent six years working with the indigenous community at Daly River in the Northern Territory. He felt that he had a missionary calling to people of different ethnic backgrounds, particularly with the Indigenous community of Australia.

He is happy and comfortable working with the people of the Tiwi Islands. Father celebrates a school mass once a fortnight and at Rankou community every other Sunday. There is no church at Rankou so mass is celebrated in the open air.

Father Peter says of his role as a priest amongst the indigenous community, “I am not here to teach the people, I am here to be with the people as a missionary and by the blessings of God they will experience conversion; not in the white way, not in the black way but in the way and time it is willed to be.”

Catholic Mission supports Father Peter and his parish on Bathurst Island with funding from Catholic Mission’s work with communities.