Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Marlow (Mairlot), Ferdinand

Missionary, pastor; born Ensival, Belgium, 7 June 1908; died Perth, WA, 3 June 2004, aged 95.

For the first 65 years of his life in Belgium and India he was Fernand Mairlot, his Belgian name. For the last 30 years in Australia he was Ferdinand Marlow. On becoming an Australian citizen he changed his name to accommodate to the Australian tongue. However, he generally responded to 'Ferdie'.

He was educated at St Francis Xavier College, and joined the Society at Arlon, Belgium, 23 September 1925. His juniorate was in Drogen, 1928-29, with military service during 1929. He subsequently went to India in December 1929 and studied philosophy in Shembaganur Sacred Heart College, 1930-32. He studied Hindi to work in the Hindi-speaking Ranchi region. However, when provinces were reshuffled, he was sent to Calcutta, which was Bengali-speaking. He did his regency at St Xavier's School, Calcutta, 1933-35, and theology at St Mary's Theological College, Kurseong, 1936-39. Tertianship was in Ranchi.

Marlow taught at St Xavier's, Calcutta, 1942-73, and was headmaster 1964-67. He returned to Belgium on 18 March 1973, and subsequently went to Australia. During his teaching life in Calcutta, Marlow taught the two senior classes, preparing the boys for the Cambridge examination. He was known as an extremely efficient and thorough teacher, seeing to it that the boys were drilled in all parts of the syllabus. He was liked and highly respected by the boys, and he left many friends.

Good order was maintained in his classes because his teaching was so efficient, but he had a soft corner in his heart, and found it difficult to punish the troublemakers. He also took pastoral interest in lay people frequenting the chapel, and made friends of many families. All along he was a keen sportsman, keeping himself physically very fit, mostly playing tennis. He also frequently and efficiently organised trips abroad for the students.

He left India because he felt somewhat out of place, as the Calcutta province was becoming more and more Indian in outlook and outreach. He did not speak fluently any of the Indian languages. His Jesuit brothers would have preferred him to remain with them in Calcutta.

A turning point came in his life in 1973 when he led a group of pilgrims from Calcutta to the Eucharistic Congress in Melbourne, and met Bishop Robert Healy, auxiliary bishop of Perth, who suggested that he might like to work in Perth.

He was first assigned to the Highgate parish, followed by relief work as acting parish priest in Northam, Manning, Palymra, Highgate again, and Osborne Park.

Given the need for Italian speakers in Osborne Park, Marlow went to Italy to learnt Italian, only to find on his return that he had been reassigned to Cottesloe. He spent six happy years with Bishop Healy as administrator of Cottesloe. Then he moved to Claremont as administrator, 1987-89, and it was during his time that the new school wing was completed.

At 82 years of age he left parish administration and, because he was so fit from playing tennis all his life, he served as chaplain to St Joseph’s hospital, Bicton for four years, 1990-3, and then to St John of God, Murdoch, hospital for another six years, 1994-99. At this time, Archbishop Hickey presented him with a Certificate of Meritorious Service.

He gave up playing tennis at the age of 90, and as his strength began to decline he retired to the St John of God villa, Subiaco. However, on Fridays he drove to the cathedral to hear confessions. After an accident with the car he invested in a battery-powered scooter that took him to say Mass for the elderly people at the Villa Pelletier. He also played bridge regularly with friends.

Marlow was respected for his quiet dignity and modesty, and for being prayerful, faithful, kind, considerate and available.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)