An account of the background of Rev. Fr. Phillip Scheffer is given in ‘Called to Witness’ by Sr. Francis Therese, 1975 p.18 to 20. It is attested that the information given was obtained from surviving sister, Mrs Catherine Flintrop, at the time the research was done by Fr. Mollenaar MHM in Holland.

In some parts, this account quotes verbatim from ‘Called to witness’ and some parts are paraphrased as deemed necessary.

Fr. Scheffer was born in Rotterdam, Holland, on 5^th March, 1882. His parents, Johannes Scheffer and Maria Wilhelmina Scheffer, lived in the KRUISSTRAAT, where they kept a fruit shop. He was baptized by a Dominican priest. Baby Phillip, the second child in the family was followed by three brothers and three sisters. He was a healthy and very cheerful boy, full of pranks and jokes. His outstanding feature was his kind and affectionate nature, which endeared him to every member of his family. When a pupil of Nadorst Street School, at a very early age, Phillip became an alter server. This service which he regarded as a privilege, was a source of great joy to him.