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

Missionary, pastor, teacher; born Brunswick, Victoria, 20 February 1918; died Sydney, 31 July 2002, aged 84.

Leonard Forster, nephew of John and Thomas, had his early education with the Marist Brothers and at St Patrick’s College, East Melbourne, matriculating at the age of 15. After leaving school, he worked in the Public Service, Department of Agriculture, studied law (part-time) at the University of Melbourne in 1938, and was a member of the Campion Society, 1936-38, before joining the Jesuits, 18 February 1939. He studied philosophy at Loyola College, Watsonia, and did regency at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview, 1944-46, performing the duties of sacristan and master of ceremonies. Disciplining boys and enduring their weaknesses and failures he found difficult. He moved to Canisius College, Pymble, for theology in 1947, and was ordained on 4 January 1950.

During his years of formation, Forster was perceived as being too hard on himself at times, and too literal in his interpretation of directions, and this gave a wrong impression of him to other people. As a scholastic during philosophy he made a reputation for himself as a fine cantor for High-Masses and Easter ceremonies, and as a valuable performer in Gilbert and Sullivan operas performed by the scholastics. He was also a capable Australian rules footballer.

With others he was cheerful, amusing and a generous member of the community. He was appointed to India at the end of his fourth year theology. When he first heard the news he was fearful and apprehensive, but when he became accustomed to the idea of going to India, he found himself keen to do his best. This dedication to duty was typical of Forster all his Jesuit life. Upon arrival, of the six pioneers put to study Hindi in Manresa House, Ranchi, Forster was the most successful at the language.

In 1952 he was in tertianship in Sitagarha, and was also the socius to the novice master for the year. Following this he spent two years as assistant in the parish of Samtoli where he improved his Hindi and also learned the Sadri language. There followed five years as parish priest of Chandwa, in which he was for a time responsible for the whole of northern Palamau, touring extensively most of the month, covering Daltonganj, Chippadohar, Barwadih, Kanjia, and many smaller places. In 1960 he became parish priest of Hazaribag. His simple piety led him to have strict views about discipline in the Ashram hostel.

His time in Hazaribag was full of apostolic activity. He toured the Hazaribag area extensively, keeping in touch with the scattered tribal Catholic communities. Mardanpur near Chatra caught his attention and he recommended that the Church acquire land in Chatra as a centre for work in that western end of the parish. He also visited some Santal settlements near Bokaro thermal, and in the Charhi area. To probe the chances of apostolic work among Santals he had invited Father Sammut from Santal Pargana to visit the Santals, and secured the services of a Santal catechist from that area. Later he decided that the work be best left for some later time when a Santali speaking priest would be available. He renewed an interest in the spark of faith still found among those now called Dalits, and to help him in working among them he secured the services of one Alfred, from Barb, as a catechist. Forster worked assiduously visiting families in Hazaribag town and established good rapport with the then Anglican community. To settle catechists and teachers permanently in Hazaribag he acquired land in Dipugarha and subsidized housing for them there.

From 1963 to 1966 Forster was in Maheshmunda, where his assistant was Hans Hendricks. He found it hard to assimilate the changes in theology and missiology that emerged from Vatican II, and sought a change from village apostolate. After a long period of leave in Australia, he moved to Giridih for a short time. For two years Bokaro Thermal was the scene of his work, from where he visited the newly settled town of Bokaro Steel City. By this time Forster was looking for urban work and had short spells in Bandra (Bombay Province) and later in Golmuri (Jamshedpur Province). However, he was beginning to feel the strain of mission life, and said that his initial 'verve and enthusiasm' had waned.

He left India permanently at the beginning of 1975 and returned to the Australian Province. Since then his work was in the parishes in Sydney (Lavender Bay) and Melbourne, until his retirement as chaplain at Cardinal Gilroy Village in Sydney in 1991, where he was devoted to the spiritual needs of the elderly.

As his health declined, he moved to the retired Jesuits’ community at Canisius College, Pymble, in 1998. In these early days his wanderlust was evident, travelling to Mount Gambier to see a friend, or to see a niece in Brisbane in his own car. When golf became too much for him, he spent much time listening to his favourite music, or working on the daily crossword. During these latter days, Forster was always cheerful and entertaining with his stories of days past or jokes that were not told for the first time. He enjoyed visitors, especially the ladies, to whom he subjected to a barrage of questions about their lives. Despite the personal nature of these questions, they seemed to be accepted as his way of being friendly. Theological discussions with Forster were impossible. For him theology was not about questions, but about answers, and they were all black and white in the penny catechism. Any proposition or scriptural interpretation that sounded slightly new or different from Trent, he did not hesitate to brand as heresy. Correct rubrics at Mass were also very important for him. When in the parish of Lavender Bay, he would listen to the ABC late at night, and if he thought some programme offensive or misleading to people, he would ring the ABC and tell them what he thought. He regularly shared his thoughts on orthodoxy and acceptable behaviour with superiors and anyone willing to listen.

Overall, Forster was a straightforward, optimistic person, capable of single-minded dedication to duty, hard work, and routine priestly ministry. As he grew older he seemed more relaxed, enjoying a regular game of golf, a game at which he had more than ordinary skill, being a three handicapper in his day. In India he was remembered with affection as a dedicated and holy priest, a fervent and even meticulous religious, and a generous, hospitable host. He was the last of the Australian pioneers to India to go to his heavenly reward.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)