Fr. Rudolph Frisch, SVD

Fr. Frisch was born on May 12, 1899 in West Germany. On September 23, 1920 he entered the Society of the Divine Word. On 7 of September 1923 he entered Novitiate in Vienna, and two years later, on September 29, 1925 he made his first vows. After completing his formation, on September 8, 1929 he professed final vows in SVD Mission house in St. Gabriel, Vienna, and was ordained priest the next year on May 29, 1930. Ho chose a special passage from the Gospel of Luke as his priestly motto: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19).

After his ordination, on the same year he was sent to the mission in China (November 1, 1930). Initially he worked for few years in Qinghai, then moved to Gansu province. After 22 years of working in China, and after the communist takeover, he was expelled from China. It was 20 days before Christmas, on December 5, 1953 he was on his way back to Germany, and was assigned to minister refugees in West Berlin. In 1959 he was back to the mission, this time to Taiwan. He volunter himself to work among aboriginis on the highland of Alishan, Chiay, and started mission stations in Tefuyeh, Tabang, Lichia. On July 4, 1982 he died in SVD Mission house in Chiay, Taiwan.

During his time as missionary in China, he traveled throughout the Northwest Mountains. During his missionary services in Taiwan, he arduously traveled throughout the then Wufeng Township (now Alishan, Chiayi): He built seven mission stations in Alishan. He was hailed as "Wu Feng II". He founded twenty kindergartens, ofered free childcare to eight hundred children, provided free medicine for the people on the mountain.

He took good care of the sick and sent them to clinics, and was responsible for their medical expenses, meals allowance until they recovered. He sponsored tuition fees as well as accommodation and meals for aboriginal students who came down to get good education. He also established special classes for aboriginal students at Fu Jen Catholic High School. To help elevating the economic life of aboriginal people, he established a credit union and cooperative farms. He paid a high respect to the local culture: He brought the revival spirit to the Tsou traditional rituals, such as Homeyaya (ancestors worship) and Mayasvi (war sacrifice).