Grafton, Lismore, Broadway, NSW

T.W. Campbell, The Priests of the Diocese of Armidale: A Necrology, Braddon ACT, 2005:
Schevenels, Alphonsus Norbert (OSFC)

Alphonsus Schevenels (Father Norbert) was born at Sint-Truiden, Belgium 8 June 1839. He entered the Capuchin Novitiate on 25 May 1858 and was professed the following year, then ordained priest on 30 May 1863. It appears he was a difficult man. Correspondence both in the Dutch Capuchin Province, where he was located, and the Capuchin General Curia in Rome indicate a troubled relationship between himself and his Provincial. Norbert may have thought that he would do better outside the Province since there is a letter dated 20 October 1871, long before Elzear Torreggiani was nominated for Armidale, in which the Dutch Provincial, Father Eleutherius, complained to the Minister General that Norbert had received an obedience to go to the missions from the mission Procurator against the advice of the Definitory. Eight years later another letter from the English Provincial to the Minister General complains that Torreggiani was attempting to recruit friars to serve in his Diocese without reference to their Provincial. He cited, as an example, that on 7 March 1879 Torreggiani was in Langeweg and had a private discussion with Norbert about coming to Australia. The Provincial stated that Norbert had a most disagreeable character, he had advised against the appointment, and he was angry with Torreggiani. Norbert also wrote to the Minister proclaiming his innocence and stated that his superiors treated him as if he were a criminal declaring that he was subject to the Bishop and no longer a member of the Province. They would not allow him to hear Confessions. For his part Torreggiani said that Norbert would be better off away from the Province and the strife with his Provincial. The Provincial though this was a foolish argument as a religious living outside his Province sets a bad example and is no credit to the Province.
Subsequent events proved the Provincial to have been right. After his arrival in Australia Norbert was assigned to the coastal part of the diocese, around the Clarence river region, where he worked with Father Felix Shurr. He also worked at the Tweed with J Quish. Two years later J J Doyle, later the first Bishop of Grafton (later Lismore), complained that when he went to celebrate the Eucharist at the Tweed the altar stone was missing.
It is apparent Norbert was not happy in Australia. In the archives of the English Capuchin Province there is a note that he was working in the Clarence River District in January 1880. By the September of the same year there is another reference saying that it does not suit him. Two years later he lived for four months at St Benedict's in Broadway, Sydney, until his departure for his home Province on board the SS Garonne on 22 September 1882.
He died on 25 May 1923, aged 84, forty one years after leaving Australia. He is buried in Mons, the regional capital of Hainaut in the south of Belgium.
(Source: Colbourne, MDHC A-Z S13).

(Reproduced by permission of Tom Campbell.)