By Casey Neill
Dandenong priest Father Anthony Guelen has died.
He served at St Mary’s Dandenong from 1986 until his retirement as Pastor Emeritus in 2010.
The Foster Street church hosted Fr Guelen’s funeral on Wednesday 1 November. He died the previous Wednesday at age 89 at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
Fr Guelen arrived from Holland in 1955 and was ordained a Catholic priest at St Patrick’s Cathedral, East Melbourne, in July 1958.
He served as assistant priest in the Dandenong, Carlton and St Albans parishes and in 1972 was appointed Parish Priest of Holy Eucharist, St Albans South until moving to St Mary’s.
Fr Guelen was in the 59th year of his priesthood when he died.
In 2009, celebrating 50 years of service to the Catholic Church, Fr Guelen said he had witnessed Dandenong change from a country town to a sprawling city.
Former Greater Dandenong Councillor John Kelly was an altar boy for Fr Guelen and said the priest was “just a good bloke”.
“He was my friend but I know he had many other friends,” he said. “There was an age difference but we got on extremely well.
“He was a big supporter of young people being involved in club sports and at the same time was very engaged with the senior citizens of the parish, making sure the church supplied accommodation for some of those who were in need of support.”
Mr Kelly said close to 50 priests attended the funeral and the church was “chock a block full of people he’d come across”.
“Obviously he’d left his mark,” he said.
He said Fr Guelen was buried in Dandenong Cemetery.
In a written tribute, Vicar General Monsignor Greg Bennet said the father was practical in his approach to ministry.
“The priests of the Archdiocese of Melbourne will be forever grateful for his role in the establishment of the Priests’ Remuneration Fund and the Priests’ Retirement Foundation,” he said.
Rev Mgr Bennet said Fr Guelen, known as Dutchy, was a mentor to many young priests and seminarians “whose formation was shaped by his humour, hospitality, generosity, faithfulness and above all his daily witness to the priesthood”.
