Gravestone: "Latvian Chaplain in Australia 1950-1994."

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

Migrant chaplain; born Berzpils, Latvia, 4 September 1913; died Sydney, 15 October 1994, aged 81.

With the advent of the Great War, the Becs family moved to Preili. It was here that Becs received his early education, later moving to the high school at Aglona, 1928-32. He was a good scholar, showing a special gift for languages.

Finishing school he entered the Catholic seminary in Riga, but soon after, he and five others requested permission to join the Society of Jesus. They were accepted, 13 September 1933, and sent to the noviciate at Starawies, Poland. Studies in philosophy followed at Krakow, with theology at the Gregorian University, Rome, where he gained the licentiate. He was ordained, 26 July 1941, by Cardinal Luigi Tragia at the Gesu Church in Rome.

Because of World War II, it was impossible to return to Latvia. Becs was forced to remain in Italy, where he ministered to the pastoral needs of the people of Florence. In 1944 he returned to Rome and worked also with Latvian refugees. From the beginning of 1948 Becs succeeded in organizing Latvian broadcasting over Vatican Radio once weekly and later twice weekly.

In 1950 the Holy See was asked to provide some priests for chaplaincy among the refugees in different countries, including Australia. As Australian migrants were usually accepted for the physical labour force, it was not the first choice of many migrants and chaplains. However, Becs volunteered, and he arrived in Australia on 23 April 1950. He began his mission to the Latvians at St Mary's Church, North Sydney. In December that year, Father Stan Gaidelis replaced him, and Becs moved to Melbourne where he worked for 18 years, living at the parish house in Hawthorn.

During these years Becs developed pastoral activities for 67 fellow countrymen. At the same time he also established an organisation to foster community life, to cultivate and promote the Christian traditions and culture of the Latvian people, to organise the Latvian Catholic press and assist his people in any need. The groups he helped establish were the Latvian Catholic Association in Australia, the Catholic Ladies' Committee, and the Latvian Catholic Youth Group. A community hall was built at Flemington, Sydney, in 1970.

One particular problem was finding a suitable centre for Sunday Masses. Various places were tried, but the Latvian community settled on St Augustine's Church, Melbourne. Masses were said, first in Latin, and later in Latvian; the Church choir providing the music.

Branches of the Melbourne Latvian organisations were also established in Adelaide, Perth and Sydney. A central council was established in Melbourne. This group published the Latvian Catholic Bulletin, which until 1982 was a monthly publication. In 1995 it had a circulation of 500 copies. Five books of 1000-2000 copies were also published.

Latvian Catholics in Victoria were only about 400 among a total of 6000. Becs was good at establishing ecumenical relations with the Lutheran pastors of other Latvian churches. During his 26 years in Sydney, Becs also cared for Latvians in Brisbane and Newcastle, the latter gathered at the church at Hamilton. He also visited Latvians in Canberra. He encouraged the charismatic movement among his flock; he himself was keen on that style of prayer. He was successful in raising funds for the communities. The annual fete was always a great success. He even managed to persuade his protestant friends to attend, including their pastors.

Becs returned to St Mary's, North Sydney, in 1968 and remained there until 1992. In 1990, he visited his homeland for the first time since he left. He was well received by his relatives and friends. It was at this time that his health began to deteriorate, experiencing a series of small strokes. As a result he moved to Canisius College, Pymble, on his return to Australia, and later was hospitalized at Hornsby. His requiem Mass was celebrated at St Dominic's Church, Flemington, where he regularly said the Sunday Latvian Mass.

Jesuits remember him as a man of prayer, highly organised, unassuming but friendly in community, quiet about his work, and not showing interest in the work of others. His life was serving his people, which isolated him from mainstream Jesuit ministries.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)