Australian Dictionary of Biography entry: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/boismenu-alain-marie-guynot-de-5281

---

Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, pp 132-133:

De Boismenu, Alain Guynot, Most Rev., MSC, French
Will the "Lion-Hearted Bishop" be Canonized?
Thanks to consistent helpers in the history field Fr John McMahon MSC and Fr William McCormack MSC, the writer has before him copious references to the "Lion-Hearted" Apostle of Papua. One day when his sanctity is proclaimed an authentic biography will appear. And who would be better qualified to undertake the task than either of the contacts whose names have been mentioned? Readers can be content to know the essential items held by the M.D.H.C. — accompanied by a few words of praise from other pens and essential life details. The items held are: two articles that appeared in "The Annals of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart", July issue 1950 and January issue 1954, both from the delicate pen of Father McCormack; and unpublished pen picture of the person by Father McMahon; a photo-copy of an article by the late James McAuley, poet and prose-writer of recent times, entitled "My New Guinea" and extracted probably from 'Quadrant' (undated). The McAuley tribute, in essence, should be here recorded:

"Alain de Boismenu, whom I knew only in his old age when he lived in deep retirement in the Papuan valley of Kubuna, ... was once described by his friend Paul Claudel as 'the bishop with a heart of a lion'. Indeed he had the quality of lion and eagle, but also the sweetness and gentleness that sometimes flowers in such men, especially in old age. I would nominate him as the person in my experience who most completely exemplified 'greatness — an inspiring force of mind and will, large views, courage, intense affections, cheerfulness, candour, a noble simplicity utterly devoid of pretension. And behind these qualities something more: a rare sanctity and unerring spiritual discernment ..."

On the occasion of the death of the "Lion-hearted" on 5 November 1953, after a 53 year episcopate, Fr McCormack wrote in the "Annals" (op. cit.): The great Chief, the conqueror of the Papuan Mountains, the builder of the Papuan Church ... is dead. From the fever-infested marshes of the coast right up the mountain track to the Missions 8,000 feet above sea level, this news, so long dreaded, will bring sorrow to the hearts of each and all Papuans ... He had seen the numbers of believers grow from a few thousand to almost thirty thousand. He had come in the vigour of youth to a Mission still struggling in its first beginnings and now left it with the flower of Papuan womanhood dedicated to the service of God (A reference to the first community of native Sisters, The Handmaids of the Lord, founded in 1919) ... The cream of Papuan manhood raised to the priesthood ... Well may Papua mourn the passing of this great priest". A few comments from Fr McMahon should be put on record: "Towards the end of his life and suspecting that his end was near he called for his successor (Bishop Sorin) and made the request: After my death no-one is to write anything about me. I detest panegyrics. No eulogy is to be made over me because when I'm in Purgatory deprived of prayers there will be no-one to pray for me ... (Fr McMahon continues with a very human touch): The evening before he died he said to Mgr. Sorin who gave him a cigarette and a drop of brandy: Just look at me — here I am smoking until the end. If you make a eulogy make sure you say: He used to smoke cigarettes and he loved a little drop ... People will say that I wasn't worth very much ... I don't like the way some books speak about detachment. We have a heart and it is for loving. Our Lord loved people. What he did not like was for us to love so much that we become prisoners of that love ..."

The harsh experiences of the Papuan mission, the initial hostilities, the failures blended with the rewards, can be studied further in the Annals articles referred to above. It remains to record essential life details: Born in St. Malo, on the coast of Brittany, 27 December 1870. Eleventh child in the noble family. Educated in St. Malo, Antwerp, and Issoudun. Professed on 4 October 1888. Ordained on 10 February 1895. He landed on the infant Papuan Mission on 25 January 1898. For many years the aged Bishop Navarre MSC Vicar Apostolic of Papua, had been seeking a replacement to his assistant, Bishop Verius, who had died six years before at the age of 32. Within a few weeks Alain found that he was Missionary Pro-Vicar and acting Religious Superior. Within three years, on 18 March 1900 he was consecrated as coadjutor to Bishop Navarre at the tender age of 29. The ceremony took place in the Sacred Heart Basilica, Montmartre ... and so began the 50 year conquest of the mountains. With the retirement of Navarre in 1907 Alain assumed full control. 1907 to 1920 were to be the years of mission consolidation. 1920-1930 the Golden Years when the tree of apostolic labours began to bear fruit in abundance. The years also when Papua was favoured with the presence of the saintly Marie Noblet, whom the bishop had invited to be the Mother of his Papuan Sisters ... but that is another epic story told elsewhere. (Once more the reader is referred to the story in the Annals (op. cit.) Will the saintly Alain Guynot be one day proclaimed the Patron of Papua—New Guinea? That would be a greater blessing to P.N.G. than its new-found independence. And may the Lion-Hearted be content to intercede for the writers who have disobeyed his dying wish to frame no eulogies!
(Footprints, Vol. 3, No. 7)