Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, p 101:
Fr Raymond Vaccari CP

Fr Raymond Vaccari was born in Rome in 1801 and received into the Passionist Order in 1823. Prior to his departure for Australia, he had been for three years the Rector of St Angelo's Retreat house in Vetralla. He was highly regarded as a Master in the spiritual life. Cardinal Moran says: 'Soon after their arrival in Sydney a spiritual retreat for the clergy was conducted by Fr Vaccari who was obliged to preach in the Latin tongue as he was but imperfectly acquainted with the English language.(1)

The Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith had nominated this mission to the aborigines as an Apostolic Mission, with Fr Vaccari as Prefect Apostolic. Archbishop Polding was not happy with this direction, interfering in such a manner that the management of the mission on Stradbroke Island took a deep effect on Fr Vaccari. He had what we would call today a nervous breakdown. The four Passionist priests became despondent with the lack of funds they were receiving, as well as the nomadic lifestyle of the natives.(2)

Their disappointment and frustration came to some resolution when their Father General in Rome directed them to move from Dunwich to Western Australia.

The distances within Polding's jurisdiction were an added source of strain. Writing to Heptonstall on 26 May 1845, he spoke of his upsets over Brady, bishop of Perth in 1845, and Wilson, bishop of Hobart in 1842. He had sent Brady to Swan River (Perth) as his Vicar-General because Brady's wishing to evangelise the native. But Polding had heard indirectly that Brady had taken himself off to Rome seeking help, and one upshot was that Polding had been directed to free the Passionists to leave Stradbroke Island on the east coast, and go to Brady in the west, since he (Polding) 'did not want them any more'.(3)

In the light of this message from the Father General, Fathers Snell, Lencioni and Pesciaroli left the mission in June 1846. Fr Vaccari continued for another twelve months as best as he could to run the mission. Disheartened, and in an unstable state of mind, in 1847, he left the mission to row to Sydney. He was picked up by a vessel taking cut cedar to Sydney.(4)

Fr Denis Martin tells the touching story of Fr Vaccari after he arrived in Sydney:

It emerged that Fr Vaccari left Sydney on the barque 'Speed' in December 1847. He seems to have transhipped to New Zealand, because only he and the Captain survived a shipwreck. Fr Vaccari attributed his survival to the fact that as the vessel was going down he invoked the aid of St Francis of Solano whose body was enshrined in the Franciscan Church in Lima. After many adventures and misfortunes he reached South America, penniless and without papers to identify him and so he assumed the name 'Wilson'. Under this name he worked for thirteen years as a gardener around the Franciscan Friary at Lima.

When the facts were revealed, Fr Vaccari's position had to be regularized. It was reported to Rome that so great was the esteem in which Fr Vaccari was held that not only did the Archbishop of Lima want him to stay in his Archdiocese, but the Franciscans wanted him to become a member of their Order. On December 10, 1861, Fr Vaccari officially entered the Franciscan Order. He lived the rest of his days with them there in Lima and is said to have died with a reputation for sanctity.(5)

The third edition of Fr Denis Martin's work published in 2018 provides more detail on this story.

Footnotes
1. Denis W Martin, The Foundation of the Catholic Church in Queensland, 1988 edition, p. 25.
2. Ibid. pp. 27 and 47.
3. Frances O'Donoghue, The Bishop of Botany Bay, 1982, p.89.
4. Denis W Martin, op. cit. pp. 38 and 39.
5. Ibid. pp. 49-50.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.