Br John May has always served God with his hands.

A carpenter and joiner by trade, he enjoys using his skill as a craftsman to create something new—and all the more if it is intended for the glory of God.

Br John had been with the Jesuits for 14 years before he came to Sevenhill, a Jesuit-owned winery in South Australia’s Clare Valley. After his apprenticeship, he was appointed as the seventh Brother Winemaker in a tradition dating back to the planting of the first vine in 1851.

Though the production of sacramental wine accounts for only 20 per cent of Sevenhill’s output, it is the winery’s primary reason for existence. Made according to Canon Law requirements, Sevenhill sacramental wine is exported to India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Guam, Sri Lanka and Poland.

Sevenhill’s table wines—red, white and fortified—are a sideline, but a crucial one. Proceeds from the winery are an important source of funding for the Australian Jesuits in their works of charity and compassion in Australia and Asia, and also for the training of Jesuit novices, brothers and student priests.

Sevenhill’s first vines were planted alongside the present road to the winery—ostensibly to supply the early Jesuits with sacramental wine, but also because, as Silesians, they were used to drinking wine with their meals. In their European homeland, well-water was not always to be trusted. This humble crop has since been expanded to cover 70 hectares, yielding an annual crush of 455 tonnes from 16 different varieties of grape.

The picture was not so rosy when Br John first came to the helm in 1972. In order to survive in the newly-emerging wine industry, Sevenhill’s facilities needed a major upgrade. It took all of Br John’s persuasive powers to convince the Jesuit Provincial of the day that Sevenhill was a viable proposition.

‘In 1968 there was a review of the role of religious orders, and many were calling for a return to our origins of preaching the gospel. At the same time, the wine industry was just starting to move’, Br John explains.

It was a gamble that paid off, but it wasn’t easy. Though he had spent seven years as an apprentice under his predecessor Br John Hanlon, John underwent a steep five-year learning curve in his new role as Brother Winemaker before he could even consider expanding the operation. Once he did begin, he put his former trade to good use, doing most of the expansion work himself. Over the years he has made gradual improvements and now Sevenhill is a high-tech, modern winery—though quality remains the focus, not quantity.

The steep learning curve was probably exacerbated by the fact that when he first came to Sevenhill Br John had barely tasted alcohol—and didn’t especially care for wine! He certainly drinks it with pleasure now, and cannot imagine a day passing without a good glass of red—and, at age 75, his continued good health can certainly attest the benefits.

‘Life’s too short to drink white wine’, he says, refusing to bow to current fashion.

As the oldest winery in the Clare Valley, Sevenhill is a major tourist attraction. The historic buildings remain largely intact, including St Aloysius’ church, which continues to enjoy strong support from the local parish. Most of the historical buildings are still used for their original purposes, with the exception of the boarding school and seminary, which now serves as a retreat house, parish centre and residence.

Though John officially handed over the reins as chief winemaker in 2001, he hasn’t slowed down. He sees the bus-loads of tourists as a good opportunity to spread the good news—mostly about God, but also about wine. He sees sharing the story of Sevenhill as an important part of his vocation.

The hope is that another Jesuit with the skills and passion for winemaking will come along, but if he doesn’t, the Jesuits are still in for the long haul. Sevenhill is something of an icon among the Jesuits in Australia, as John describes it, the motherhouse—the place where it all began. It somehow embodies the Australian Jesuit identity and provides a space to acknowledge and celebrate Australian Jesuit predecessors and traditions.

‘The Society of Jesus has committed itself to preserving and keeping Sevenhill; we’re proud of it’, John explains. ‘We hope it will be here for another 150 years.’

Though the major building projects are over for the time being, John still manages to find ways to honour God with his hands. Recently he made an open-air Way of the Cross, a 45-minute reflective walk through the Sevenhill property that follows the last hours of Jesus’ life. He shows a few of the stations to the tourists when they come, but not all. The whole walk is an experience shared together by everybody at Sevenhill during Easter.

To John the stations symbolise God the creator working in his element: nature. Being a winemaker also carries the privilege of working in harmony with the cycle of creation.

‘One can feel God’s presence in vineyards, one can feel close to nature …’ he marvels. ‘I feel blessed that God has given me such a special place in his kingdom.’

For more information about Sevenhill see www.sevenhillcellars.com.au

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