In Memory of Father Paul Schenker

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Father Paul Schenker, Marianist religious of the Territorial Community of Switzerland passed away in Hägendorf (Switzerland) on August 27, 2020. Having spent several years as a missionary in Togo, he was instrumental in the gestation and growth of Marianist life in the country. . Paul showed arduous zeal for work, unfailing generosity and encyclopedic competence, especially in building the works and communities of Kara and Sotouboua, in building roads and chapels, in education as a teacher of religion, sciences, languages and technology, in health as a nurse, in Christian pastoral care as priest and catechist, in formation for religious life as recruiter and formator. He therefore leaves, in the evening of his life, a patrimony whose echo resonates daily in our lives. A reverence was returned to him in Kara and in Switzerland by the Marianist religious, the clergy and the population as a whole. May his memory remain forever inscribed in our hearts!

Celebration in Kara

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Celebration in Switzerland

Testimonies

Several testimonies have been expressed by those whose lives have been transformed by father Paul Schenker

In his circular of June 1958, Father Robert Mattlé defined the Swiss Brothers who were going to leave for the mission in Togo as "Workers of the penultimate hour". Coming after them, I therefore consider myself a worker of the last hour, five in the afternoon (cf. Mt 20: 1-16). Concretely, after Schenker. But Schenker’s spirit is still there at five o'clock. “Schenker” and “Cinq heures” (Five o'clock) rhyme well; that's why people called Schenker, Cinq heures! The red color in which the name Schenker is on my diagram is reminiscent of Switzerland; green signifies hope for the present and the future of my mission. May Father Schenker continue to inspire us. May the Lord welcome him, he who came to me in my village on vacation 31 years ago to seek me for Marianist religious life. Praise be to God for the 29 years of religious life that I celebrated yesterday with my brothers Stanislas and Alexis. Thank you to all of you for your words of encouragement and your prayers. May God bless you and the Virgin Mary protect you.

Ignace Pagnan, SM

I knew a man I saw as my other daddy but he was my brother. He wanted me to call him my brother; he was from another people, another race, another language, another nation. He was my brother, my star. He led me with conviction and gave me a direction He said to me 'Stan be'. He loved me like a good father full of love for his son. He was my big brother who knew me and trusted me. With him I worked, played, told, reflected and laughed. His name is Paul Schenker. My last meeting with him made me believe that Nati is a full man. It was not to last any longer. He looked like a slaughtered lamb. He was full of energy, teaching physics and chemistry and initiator of the mini computer, of human and religious training, the trainer, the priest, the chaplain who accompanied the scouts of the Saint George group to the camps and who often went up to Gnangbade his second house , architect and engineer builder. He is the man who had his sweater around his neck sitting on his vespa. You are Paul. ''Be''. Be a seed for your young Togolese Marianist brothers that we are. Be a sign for our Swiss brothers and for the Society of Mary a breeding ground. Go in peace you who showed us the road to the resurrection and the kingdom of God. Enter into the joy of your master. Intercede fully with the father for us. Thank you for what you have been and doing for us. We love you.

Stanislas LIMDEYOU, SM

Father Paul is one of the few men of faith to reveal the person to themself. Humanist and of a sensitive intelligence, he gave himself, with kindness and without reserve; in this way he bore witness tirelessly to the love of God the Father to his children. Today, I am truly a fatherless! Paul, rest in peace!

Vincent Simédoh

Paul was a generous father, a man of charity, a humanist above all. He was a man of faith but he was even more humanist. What he was looking for in these prenovices is a sense of humanity. He manifested holiness in his own way, very close to man. He was of a sensitive intelligence. He was a man who sought justice for all. I am convinced that his justice will remain immortal! He was looking for the man in you to reveal him to you. It was Paul! For me he was the reference man, the giant in whose shadow I took my first steps, the one who patiently taught me so many things, who gave me the basics of an education, of human and religious formation. Always positive and overflowing with optimism, always listening. He was the one who loved and practiced righteousness. He sowed the seed of an inculturation of religious life. Paul, thank you and enter into the joy of the master.

Frédéric Bini, SM

Father Paul Schenker I would find many words strong enough to resuscitate my two parents, but I will never find words just enough to pay homage to Father Paul Schenker and express the infinite affection and admiration I had for him and will always have him. He didn't always understand me, but I always understood him. This is my greatest sadness and my greatest joy. We were strangers and accomplices, opposites and fusions. He pulled my ear and patted me on the shoulder. He clenched his teeth and points in my sight and smiled well at me back. He must have loved me a lot and I didn't always give it back, or so badly. He was my friend, my great friend. My hero, my great hero. My daddy, my grandpa. I am the imperfect product of his dreams. The muddled result of his laborious and prayerful vigils. The prodigy son of his spiritual womb. Paul Schenker, he was my daddy. My beloved daddy was Paul Schenker. * I AM SCHENKER. *

Constantin Amouzou