August Hoflack

August Hoflack, son of Karolus Hoflack, farmer, and Rosalia Dumolin, was ordained priest on December 23rd, 1882 in Bruges. He was coadjutor in Veldegem (05.01.1883) and in Schorre (10.01.1884). He started working as curate in Bavikhove on February 26th, 1884. He later became chaplain in Kortrijk (27.05.1885).
On March 10th, 1891 he left to join the Belgian colonists in Argentina as a missionary. Initially he worked in Balvanera and Santa Clara, two colonies situated in the fertile province of Entre Rios (Parana). However, the situation in Balvanera became unsustainable for the immigrants. Many of them were impoverished and had to seek refuge in larger cities. Hoflack was forced to leave Balvanera as well. He pastored Villa Elisa, a newly established settlement, also in Entre Rios. He was appointed president of the Sisters of the Divine Word in Parana. Hoflack regularly sent letters from Argentina to Gezelle with news from the new colonies. They exchanged books as well, consequently some Argentinian publications are to be found in Gezelle’s library. In November 1920 Hoflack returned to Belgium and he took up residence in Oostvleteren.