Father Max-Augustine Eggert and his wife Jane were settling into a happy retirement in the NSW Hunter region when tragedy stuck.
On Monday, the 72-year-old Anglican priest and well-known psychologist was killed by his bull while working on his farm at Putty, in the Wollemi National Park between Windsor and Singleton.
Emergency services were called to the property just before 1.30pm and were unable to revive him.
"The community is absolutely stunned, in disbelief," fellow priest Father Thomas Peacock told AAP on Wednesday who heard of the news from Fr Max's wife.
"Jane is absolutely distraught. Max and her were so close and such a happy couple, they had found happiness together and now she's absolutely devastated."
The couple, who had two children together and two others from Fr Max's first marriage, had moved to Putty from Bondi, Sydney four years ago in search of an idyllic rural life where he could work on the farm and focus on his writing.
The ordained priest was also a psychologist, businessman and accomplished author who had published more than 20 books about psychology and business management and set up a company helping people transition between careers.
His sudden death has rocked the tiny town and the wider church community, with tributes pouring in on the Anglican Communities of our Lady Facebook page.
Fr Thomas described Fr Max as a strong-willed and forthright person who spoke his mind but was very caring.
"If anyone needed him he was always there. He was very intellectual but had the ability to reach people at all levels."
His last memory of Fr Max was from the weekend's church service in Sydney for which the priest had travelled three hours.
"The measure of the man was that every two weeks he made that drive down... he celebrated just on Sunday, our last visual memory of him was of him celebrating amongst us."
Fr Thomas rued the fateful turn of events, saying the priest had planned to start a healing service in Windsor this week."
"It's just one of those things. Max and the bull had had some disagreements, but you don't blame the bull, you don't blame Max. It's just one of those things that happened.
"He died doing what he wanted to do, he enjoyed the country life and he was establishing a beautiful paradise up there for himself and Jane."
Members of the rural fire service destroyed the bull after the attack, NSW police said.
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