Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Klinkowstroem, Maximilian

Missionary; born Vienna, Austria, 21 October 1819; died Kalksburg, 28 March 1896, aged 76.

Maximilian Klinkowström received his early education in the institute founded and directed by his father. He was a lively young man, innocent and devotional, finishing his secondary education at the age of 15. Despite a speech impediment he entered the Jesuit noviciate at Graz, Austria, 14 August 1834. He had thoughts of being a soldier, but his older brother Josef had become a Jesuit, and this influence prevailed in his life.

His speech impediment continued to be a problem with him during his noviciate and threatened his vocation, but he seemed to be miraculously cured of it. After vows he studied philosophy at Linz and taught at the Innsbruck secondary school in 1840. Three years later he began theology studies at Linz and was ordained, 17 May 1846. During theology studies he taught catechism in the Innsbruck prison and directed ceremonies during Holy Week in the local Jesuit church. He even conducted a mission in Tirol and Vorarlberg. This was the first mission held after the sad days of 'Josefinism'.

The mission sparked many others and the demand became great, and Klinkowström interrupted his theology studies five times during the last two years. This activity heightened his apostolic and missionary zeal.

In the autumn of 1847 Klinkowström began his tertianship at Graz, but it was interrupted when the Jesuits were expelled from Graz in March 1848. He found a temporary job as assistant chaplain in the parish of Kirchberg in Tirol. Then he was present, with others, at a meeting called by the provincial to hear a proposal to accompany a group of Catholic migrants to Australia. They were to found a mission station and take over the pastoral care of these Germans and the mission station.

There was silence in the group for a short time until Klinkowström volunteered. This prompted Aloysius Kranewitter to volunteer as well, and so began the mission to Australia. The general had approved the mission on the condition that two priests were sent and that appropriate free travel and accommodation and sustenance were provided, and that the two should remain together.

These conditions were accepted by the leader of he group, and so, the two priests with 80 migrants left Hamburg on 15 August 1848, arriving 8 December 1848 at the port of Adelaide.

The revolutions of 1848 in Germany brought many people to the decision to leave their fatherland and settle overseas. To direct this migration to Australia, leaflets and advertising pamphlets were distributed in harbour cities like Bremen, depicting the paradise-like life in Australia and the ease with which one could become rich quickly.

So in provinces like Silesia, the mood was stirred to migrate to Australia. A rich honourable farmer called Weikert was thus enticed to lead a group of emigrants to seek their fortunes. He sold his farm to finance the passage of all the migrants of this group with the only condition that the migrants had to work for the farmer in Australia until they had paid him back the fare. Only Catholics should be in this group and therefore Weikert asked the Vicar of Munich for help to find a priest. An agent engaged by Weikert, named Neuman, organised 80 migrants for the group without finding out their religion, although he told Weikert they were all Catholics and gathered them all together in Hamburg to start their voyage on 15 August 1848.

There were arguments on board ship when it was discovered that more than half of the group were strict Lutherans who felt great animosity towards the Catholics and especially the two priests. It was not a happy group that arrived in Adelaide.

Upon arrival, the two priests introduced themselves to the Bishop of Adelaide who received them rather coldly because he had not been advised of their coming. The bishop decided that the two priests should alternatively take pastoral care of the German Catholic community in Adelaide and look after Germans in the countryside. As a result, Kranewitter moved with the migrants to the country where Weikert leased some land 80 miles north of Adelaide in the Clare valley with only 14 migrants out of the original 80 who remained with him.

Klinkowström remained in Adelaide against the wishes of the general and his life was to be one of constant hardship and suffering. Adelaide at that time was more like a poor village than a large town. Although Klinkowström was allowed to have lunch at the bishops' house and have a room for the night, he could hardly ever say Mass in the chapel and was treated rather badly. He tried to find a room and eventually a good Catholic barrister, Mr Johnson, who resided in the country, but had a house in Adelaide, allocated him one unfurnished room. For a while he had to sleep on the floor, before he was able to buy a straw bag, a chair, a clothsbrush and some shoe polish. But he did not have enough money for a table.

From here he took over the pastoral care of the small German community, consisting mainly of very poor labourers who could not assist their pastor at all, even to provide the bare means of existence.

The bishop, having been made aware of the situation, ordered the introduction of the English custom of Sunday collections for the support of the pastor by the German community. This completely unknown custom to the German congregation resulted not only in no money being collected, but also in most parishioners staying away from Sunday Mass, and Klinkowsröm often had only a congregation of three or four.

He wanted to visit the Germans outside Adelaide, but they gave him no horse, and it was impossible to do this job on foot. So his apostolic fervour was curtailed and he was condemned to do nothing in his lonely room. Without any prospect of a change he contemplated going back to Europe to be active again. But he had no money and felt he was not allowed to leave his post without urgent reason.

In March 1849, Klinkowström became critically ill and only his strong constitution saved his life. No priest visited him during his illness. Finally, a German doctor took pity on him and treated him without remuneration, and strongly urged his return to Europe. As a result, Klinkowström obtained a passage back to Europe for £50 after pawning some altar utensils. He sailed on 12 March 1849 and arrived in London, 15 August, now fully recovered. Before he left Australia he had advised his superior of his action and asked him to inform the English provincial of his arrival in that country. However, when he arrived, the English Jesuits knew nothing about him, denying the existence of Jesuits in Australia. Fortunately two Austrian Jesuits studying in London recognised him and the English provincial accepted him, but would not offer any payment for his voyage from Australia. This was devastating news, as the captain of the ship would not let him ashore until the debt was paid. Finally, they agreed by contract that the captain would be paid within two months; otherwise court action in Vienna would be taken.

Klinkowström left England for Brussels, where, upon learning that the general, Father Roothaan, had been expelled from Rome was residing in Alost, he decided to see the general to explain the reasons for his return from Australia. He was well received and ordered to write to the English provincial to pay the debt to the English ship captain and redeem the pawned altar utensils.

As all members of the Austrian province had been dispersed, Klinkowström became involved with missionary work in Germany. He continued with this work most successfully until 1857 in Westphalia, Prussia, Bavaria, Silesia, Hungary and Austria.

From 1857 he was a regular Sunday and Feast Day preacher in Vienna, Prague, and Innsbruck, and continued with his missionary work. In 1890 he completed his 160th mission at St Augustin's Church in Vienna. He was a popular and successful giver of missions, frequently attracting large crowds.

In 1859 he acted as military chaplain with a student company in a war in Upper Italy, and received a medal for his action. In 1860 he went to Kalksburg, and in 1862 to Pressburg. After one year as minister and procurator in Kalocsa he was transferred to Prague and from there accompanied a group of pilgrims to Rome for the 50th jubilee of Pius IX as a priest.

From 1873-87 he was the Sunday preacher in Vienna and became superior of the new residence of Laibach until 1891. During all his years as a missionary, he was well liked by all those he encountered. He was a fine orator, and prepared each sermon very carefully, entering the pulpit with great humility and a sense of his own shortcomings.

Finally, he was transferred to Graz where he had a stroke and spent his last three years very ill in Kalksburg, his body and brain paralysed until his death.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)