Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Middle Park VIC was filled to capacity for the Funeral Mass for Fr Frank Shortis, OCarm on Friday 31 July 2015.

Fr Denis Andrew (Prior Provincial) was the principal celebrant of the mass which was concelebrated by 16 priests. Archbishop Denis Hart presided at the Mass in appreciation for Frank's contribution to Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Fr Paul Cahill gave the homily.

Family members, Carmelites and representatives from Whitefriars College and Geogeghan College (now Penola College) placed symbols around the coffin recalling Fr Frank's Baptism, Carmelite Life, Pastoral Ministry and contribution to Education. Three members of the music group from Hilton Parish (WA) flew from Perth to attend the funeral. Whitefriars College students formed a guard of honour and were pall bearers at the conclusion of the Mass.

Fr Frank was laid to rest in the Carmelite section of Williamstown Cemetery. At the conclusion of the burial members of the music group from Hilton Parish WA sang the Flower of Carmel over the grave.

Funeral Homily for Fr Frank Shortis

A bridge builder, a Priest of the Carmelite Order, a Principal, an effective liaison, the Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools’ founding President, a vital player.

These are some of the descriptions of Frank Shortis which Anne O’Brien used in her book, “Blazing a Trail, Catholic Education in Victoria, 1963-1980”.  Frank’s significance in the story she tells, however, is best summarised by her acknowledgement that “Above all else, Shortis possessed qualities of nature and grace”.  Such an introduction to Frank is just that  … an Introduction.  There was so much more to Frank, both in terms of his skills and capacities and in terms of his character.  So much that Anne O’Brien herself admitted when she said to me recently, “You can’t dress Frank up too much.  His personality was the basis of everything he was able to achieve and help others to achieve.”

Frank was born at Kyabram in northern Victoria in 1926 and completed his secondary education at Assumption College, Kilmore, in 1945, after having spent a couple of years working at Tatura Post Office.  He joined the Carmelites in 1946 and embarked on an extraordinary journey for himself, the Order, the Church and the wider community which only ended with his bodily death and passing to eternal life in the early hours of Friday last week.

The factual recall of Frank’s ministerial involvement since his ordination as a Priest in 1953 tells its own story. 

Having been encouraged by the province leadership since he was a student to pursue his vision for the Carmelites in Australia to become involved in the school ministry, Frank spent the first seven years after his Ordination preparing to lead the province into this new ministry which formally began on 14 February 1961 with the opening of Whitefriars College at Donvale.  During this time, Frank completed his own University studies and with his trademark focus, meticulous attention to detail, expansive vision and consideration of the bigger picture prepared for the opening of this Boys’ Secondary College.  In his history, “Whitefriars College – 50 years, 1961 – 2010”, James Thomson recalls: 
After his ordination, the development of the school became a consuming passion for Shortis.  Over the next few years, while still studying at University and working in the Carmelite Parish of St Joseph’s Port Melbourne, he discussed often with Fr Basil Nugent, the Prior of the Whitefriars Monastery at Donvale, who might staff the new school and how the potential teachers might become suitably qualified.
The province’s horizons were expanded by Frank’s vision and the way in which he was able to bring that vision to fruition.  The opportunity for the young men of the Order to be involved in University studies as they prepared to teach at Whitefriars “gave a whole new refreshing stream of ideas not discussed in seminaries in those days”, recalls Fr Jerome Watt in Thomson’s book.

Apart from assisting in the parish at Port Melbourne during these years of preparing for the opening of Whitefriars College, Frank was also Acting Novice Master for the province in 1959.  Whilst at Port Melbourne, however, his involvement was anything but peripheral.  He formed some wonderful friendships there and garnered great supporters for the emerging and exciting new venture that was to be Whitefriars College.  Frank also touched the lives of many other people at Port Melbourne to whom he remained faithful right through the years, no matter where he was and whatever else he was involved in.  Frank’s fidelity to his friends and family, of whom more will be said later, was a hallmark of the man.

Frank’s eloquence in presenting a vision or in arguing a point of view, in giving an occasional address or preaching a homily is legendary.  Wisdom, nuance, careful consideration of different points of view, respect for his audience, historical awareness, literary acumen and effective delivery were always evident.  It was a delight to hear Frank speak, whether formally or informally, or to read what he wrote.  As a small illustration, let me quote the beginning of Frank’s homily in St Patrick’s Cathedral to mark the 40th anniversary of Whitefriars College in 2000, again recalled in Thomson’s book:

It was still early in the day but the countryside had been exposed to the hot sun of a February morning for three hours.

Past a sign which proclaimed the name of a builder and down a drive which had been smoothed out in previous months by trucks with concrete, mobile cranes and carpenters’ cars came a small boy in  a grey uniform and a dark brown cap carrying a bag which seemed far too large for him.

The first pupil had arrived at Whitefriars College, preceding by some thirty minutes the bus load of very apprehensive, very excited, eleven and twelve-year-old boys who were to be his companions in the first year of the College’s history.

Two priests changed quickly from overalls to brown habits to welcome the boy; and when the school bus had brought his companions there were also two Brothers aboard.  These four Carmelites were the College’s initial staff, their other duties of each day spoiling what might otherwise appear as the perfect teacher-pupil ratio.

The new boy and thirty-two other new boys sat in new desks, wrote in new books, and started to form the spirit of a completely new school.

That new school is now flourishing in its 55th year as a highly respected and popular contributor to Catholic education in this archdiocese.  The foundations on which it was built and which continue to guide its operation and development were laid down solidly by Frank.   As Frank himself recalled, again quoted by Thomson:

All parents were looking for a good secondary education, but some parents who had themselves been educated in Catholic schools were looking for something better, something different from the basic six or seven subjects, staff with basic training, and corporal punishment.

And further, Frank added:

We valued one-to-one conversations.  In those early years, teachers knew all the students and their parents by first name.  This set a pattern.  Students felt they were known and respected.

I have dwelt on Frank’s work in establishing Whitefriars College, not only because it is so well recorded and accessible, but because it gives us an insight into the sort of man he was and the skills and attributes that made him so effective in other ministries to which he subsequently committed himself.  Here was a man who, no matter what context you met him in, conveyed, as Peter Moran, the 1967 Whitefriars College Captain (again quoted in Thomson’s book) said, the instant sense of knowing that you were in the presence of a gentleman.

I don’t think Frank would have put it in these words in 1961, but in establishing a school with a distinctive vision and a different style from what was then usual, Frank was ensuring that the school was imbued with the Carmelite charism.  From the naming of the school to the honouring of Mary in its motto, to the establishment of student Houses patronised by various Carmelite saints, to the choice of curriculum extending to literature, art and music, to the focus on the individual, to the style of respect for each person and careful listening to their stories and trying to help develop their particular talents and interests, Frank was giving concrete expression to his own contemplative spirituality, to his dedication to the service of others and to the value of community in our lives and in our world.  Here was a man deeply imbued with the spirit of the Prophet Elijah, spiritual “father” of the Carmelites and of whom we were reminded in our first Reading today.  Like Elijah, Frank experienced God deeply in the silence of his heart; like Elijah, he was zealous to share God’s love and care for him with those whom he felt called by God to serve in many different circumstances over the years.

Frank’s enduring significance for Whitefriars College was underlined by current Principal, John Finn who, when informing the College community of Frank’s death, said:

He was the inspiration and drive behind allowing families from the newly developing Eastern suburbs of Melbourne to have access to a quality Catholic Boy’s College.  He coordinated the philosophy, building, programming, finances and staffing of the school.  He was the inaugural principal and was still a member of the current College Board.  …  He also founded the College around the three Carmelite tenets of Prayer, Community and Action.  We hold dearly to these tenets today.

Furthermore, I was privileged as a Carmelite, Priest, one time Provincial and Principal of Whitefriars College to enjoy Frank’s wise mentoring, his lively interest in what was happening, his wit in telling a story, his humour in recalling different situations, his enthusiasm for and insights into AFL football and his contribution to the Whitefriars College Board throughout my time as College Principal.  His enthusiasm for Whitefriars College was almost life long and something in which the College has been richly blessed.

A new chapter began in Frank’s life in October 1972 when he left Whitefriars College to take up an invitation by the Archdiocese of Melbourne to be the founding Principal of Geoghegan College, a new senior co-educational school which opened in Broadmeadows the following year.  These were heady, tense, demanding, yet defining and ultimately highly significant years in the successful development of Catholic education in this State, as recalled so well in O’Brien’s book, referred to earlier.  The world was changing, Australian society was changing, the political landscape was changing with the election of the Whitlam Government in 1972 and the Church was changing in the light of Vatican II.  In many ways, the fact that we enjoy such a professional, effective, significant, yet Gospel inspired Catholic educational ministry in our State today, is due in large measure to the visionary and practical commitment and endeavour of a number of important figures in the 1970s who steered a highly successful course through the turbulent waters of those years.  Numbered significantly among these important figures was Frank Shortis, as O’Brien has generously acknowledged.  He was the founding President of the newly formed Principals Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools and was sought after by the Archdiocesan educational authorities as a member of other important committees which helped chart the future course of Catholic education in this State.

The establishment of Geoghegan College itself represented a new vision for how senior secondary education might be offered in the Catholic tradition in Melbourne.  The success of such a venture was dependent on visionary, yet practical leadership – and Frank was a “prize catch” for the Archdiocese in this regard.  I know that Frank loved the challenge of establishing Geoghegan and enjoyed the experience of it very much.  He brought together an outstanding group of educators as teachers, who shared Frank’s enthusiasm for the venture, committed themselves wholeheartedly to it, were unswerving in their loyalty to him – as he was to them - and who formed the sort of close bond among themselves that such new ventures in trying circumstances do forge.  At celebrations for Frank’s 60th anniversary of Ordination 2½ years ago, I remember Margo Murphy from that early Geoghegan staff, paying tribute to Frank and saying that if you were discussing some great new idea you had with Frank and he said, “Do you think that’s a good idea?”, you knew that he didn’t – and mostly on further reflection you also decided it wasn’t such a good idea!  Part of his genius was that he was able to challenge people’s ideas without making them feel somehow inadequate or inferior and he was happy to have his own ideas challenged.  Again, the open, listening, welcoming, wise approach of the contemplative prophet was on display.

After six very demanding years at Geoghegan, in 1979 Frank became Prior Provincial of the Carmelites in Australia for the next six years.  He was re-elected to this role for a further 4 years in 1997.  As Provincial, Frank encouraged us Carmelites to develop our skills and talents to their full potential so that we might be of better service to the Order, the Church and the world.  He was very supportive and encouraging of us taking up sabbatical and further education programs and of developing our involvement in contemporary spirituality ministry.  He was, in the spirit of Elijah, “full of jealous zeal for the Lord, God of hosts” – not only in regard to his own service of God and God’s people, but in encouraging that in us.  All his administrative and leadership skills were evident as the Province leader and were recognised by other Religious and Church leaders as he was enlisted onto various committees concerned with implementing visions of how Religious might better engage with each other and with the broader Church for the building up of the Kingdom of God.  He treated each of us, as he did everyone, with courtesy and respect – ever ready to listen to concerns or hopes, to encourage with wise counsel and to offer practical support in the resolution of problems or the realization of dreams.

After completing his first six year term as Provincial, Frank trained as a Spiritual Director.  He subsequently practised this ministry at Whitefriars Spirituality Centre in 1988, although he had often given occasional spiritual direction or Retreats to Religious prior to this, whilst busy with his other commitments.  Again, his personal humility and holiness, his attentive listening and his sage counsel made him an attractive spiritual guide to many people and he continued to assist people in this way, including the Lay Carmelites in Brisbane, until quite recently – even though he was primarily engaged with other responsibilities and with other ministries.  As you might expect, his service in this specific spirituality ministry was also very much appreciated.

In 1989, a newly elected Carmelite Provincial Council saw a need to breathe new life into the Carmelite Parish of Hilton in Perth.  Even though Frank hadn’t been in parish ministry since 1958 in Port Melbourne, Frank was the clear “go to” man for this task.  Along with Jerome Watt, with whom he formed a formidable partnership for the next eight years, Frank didn’t disappoint.  He generously and cheerfully took up this challenge even though it meant separation from family, friends, contexts and professional associates that had been so important a part of his life for so long.  In a challenging socio-economic environment, Frank drove the building of a new Church – a potent symbol of the new life breathed into the Parish.  Even more important, however, was his attention and loyalty to the people; from the most humble to the most gifted and talented, endearing him, as it had always done, to a broad range of people – including, and especially, young people. The people of Hilton, like the people of Coorparoo in Brisbane where he served after completing his second term as Provincial in 2001, appreciated his faith and his faithfulness, his prayerfulness, his knowledge, his insights, his homilies, his way of relating to each of them, his good humour and his genuine and gentle style.  Again, as noted earlier in recalling Anne O’Brien’s comments, his personality was the basis of all his achievements.

Frank was far from a one-dimensional man.  He had great interest in theology, the arts, history, education, literature and sport –and retained a life-long interest in them all and, particularly, education.  He was a true educationalist in that he was not only interested in the art of teaching, but in the exploration of ideas and in enthusing others about those ideas.  He was forever finding and sharing articles where ideas were being explored.  If he’d found one that speculated why the Hawks (my team) might have the wood on his beloved Swans, I’m sure he would have shared even that with me!

The final year of Frank’s life was lived here in Middle Park where he felt that at a time of life when he had diminished energy compared to that which was characteristic of him, he might be able to make a contribution to the organization of our Provincial archives.  His knowledge of our province’s history is unmatched and I think our Archivist, Esmae Boutros, with whom he worked delightfully this past year or so, found him an invaluable resource as well as just a great guy to have around.  In so many ways, Frank will be missed by this province.  His presence and his contribution was unique and invaluable.  We will all miss him in common ways and in different ways, but among those who will especially miss him are the young Carmelite students from both East Timor and Australia who live here.  They have got to know and love him as a genuine, friendly, happy, encouraging and inspiring brother.  They and the other members of the community here have been especially able to support him in these last months of frail health.  He was very grateful for anything they did for him – as he was to anyone who did anything for him – and it is a tribute to them that he really wanted to end his life here in the community, rather than in supported accommodation elsewhere.  That he was effectively able to do this is a great tribute to them as it was, I feel sure, a great blessing for Frank.

No reflection on Frank would be anywhere near adequate, however, without reference to his family.  He loved his brother and sisters dearly, as he did their spouses, their children and their grandchildren – and they loved him.  He was there for so many significant events in their lives, including Baptisms, Marriages and Funerals.  He supported them in various tragedies and struggles which came the ways of different ones of them throughout their lives.  He shared both good times and sad times with them and they loved sharing time and special occasions with him, as he did with them.  He loved to get back to Kyabram and Shepparton where his siblings lived and to holiday with them on the Gold Coast in recent years.  He was always keenly interested in what was happening in their lives and this extended in a special way to the younger nieces and nephews as they were making their ways and forging their careers in life.  He displayed to his family that wonderful ability he had, and which he displayed to anyone he met, of giving them his undivided attention – of ‘being there’ for whoever he was with.  As Frank loved and was proud of his family, so they loved and were proud of him, as was so evident whenever they gathered for some special occasion, a number of which I was privileged to be present for.  I know they were with him at the end of his life and this would have been a great comfort to him, as I’m sure it was for them.  We extend to them our special condolences.

This zealous, contemplative, loving prophet, Frank Shortis, was surely a man of the Beatitudes, recalled in today’s Gospel reading.  May this man of the Beatitudes, this humble man – so open to God, this gentle, compassionate, honourable, wise, kind, just, merciful and peaceful man of the highest integrity rest now in eternal peace and joy in the fullness of the kingdom for which he longed and to which he gave life-long witness.  As we give thanks to God for his life and for being touched by it, may we continue to be inspired by it.  May this Carmelite Priest who knew God intimately and loved God’s people wholeheartedly and who was unstinting in his service of God and God’s people and the building up of God’s kingdom on earth continue to inspire us to also be people of and for the kingdom.  To be so would the highest honour and the greatest tribute we could pay him.  We have been truly blessed by the gift of Frank Shortis.  May he rest in his eternal reward.

Paul Cahill, O.Carm.

Please note: If reproducing these words in part or full kindly include the following acknowledgement:

Fr Paul Cahill, O.Carm. Homily at the Funeral Mass of Fr Frank Shortis. Source: www.carmelites.org.au

Download Fr Paul's homily pdf here .