It all began shortly after World War One. The Rev Douglas Downes, an economics don at Oxford university, and a few friends expressed their sympathy and concern for victims of the depression practically by going out onto the roads and sharing the life of the homeless men and boys, looking for work from town to town. A Dorest landowner, Lord Sandwich, offered a small farm property, and here the group of friends was able to offer shelter to the exhausted wayfarers and others in temporary need of help.

Another small group (led by Father Algy) who had a clearer idea of forming a religious order joined Brother Douglas (as he liked to be called). Gradually the little community took shape, modelling itself more consciously in the Franciscan tradition of prayer and study, was well as working with the poor. It started to look like a religious order in formal sense, with habits, a chapel and regular worship. The Society of Saint Francis came into being. More men joined and were clothed as novices.

Before long, invitations came to establish centers in other places and at the start of World War two, there were houses in south London and Cambridge. After the war other centres were opened in Britain. Establishments overseas followed and the Society now has friaries in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Other communities were made in Germany, Italy, Africa and the West Indies. We currently have brothers in Korea and Malaysia.

It was in 1958 that the then Bishop of New Guinea, Phillip Strong, persuaded the brothers to run a parish and school in a poor district of Port Moresby. It was this that brought us to the South Pacific. When Bishop Strong became Archbishop of Brisbane he was again successful. The Brookfield Centre for Christian Spirituality is still remembered by many as “the Friary”, and though we are no longer there, we still have a Brisbane Friary at St Phillip’s rectory, Annerley.