Cyrinus Fisk
Br. Cyrinus died May 15th at the Andrew Villa, Ashgrove.
Patrick Charles Fisk was born on 23rd July 1926. His parents were both raised in England and arrived in Australia in the second decade of last century: Charles Reginald was a railway shunter and Beatrice Louise (nee Taylor) tended to the home. He had one, younger brother, Joseph, who died some years ago. The family lived in Dubbo but it was when he was boarding at Forbes that young Paddy decided to explore a religious vocation at the Mittagong Juniorate in 1942. What he found, he liked, and thus started his long life as a Marist Brother. His Novitiate group included Majella, Claudius and Emery.
In the post-War years there was significant demand for Catholic education and teachers. Like many Brothers of this period, there was no time for study, and no opportunity was offered. The newly professed Cyrinus went straight into teaching, though he completed a course at night in Technical Drawing at St George Technical College during his first appointment to Kogarah.
There followed a series of relatively short appointments before, after only seven years, he was appointed Principal of St Benedict’s Broadway – “the school of tradition and distinction” as the sign he erected announced. After six years in that role he moved to St Patrick’s Church Hill as Principal before the school was transferred to Dundas. He had one more period as Principal and Superior, at St Mary’s Casino in the late 1960’s. Cyrinus had 10 separate appointments in his first 25 years, but after his Second Novitiate, he became a rock of solidity in two communities: St Joseph’s Hunters Hill from 1972 until 1998 and then Ashgrove from 1998.