Fr Peter Joseph Fountain

Peter Fountain was born in Adelaide on May 7 1945. His parents were Pat Fountain, a pharmacist and Mary Fountain a musician and piano teacher. He was older brother to Marie-Therese, Julian and John.

Peter was initially educated at St Ignatius School, Norwood, however before he went to the seminary to study as a priest he spent his final two years of schooling boarding at Rostrevor College.

Peter was very religious, even as a young boy. At an early stage his mother asked Peter what he wanted to do when he left school he said: “a tram driver during the week and a priest on Sundays”. Well, he never got the opportunity of being a tram driver but was a much-loved priest for many years.

Peter was part of the biggest ordination class of St Francis Xavier Seminary, Stradbroke Park. Of the 12 students nine, including Peter, were ordained for the Archdiocese on September 4, 1971. They were a close-knit group and would always get together each year around ordination anniversary. Peter would always participate. Credit to them for the way that they supported Peter and each other year after year.

Appointments

Over the years Peter had many appointments: assistant priest in Hectorville, Brighton, Semaphore, Millicent, Tranmere, the Cathedral, and then parish priest in Pinnaroo in January 1990, Yorketown in November 1995, Bordertown in January 2000, Mallee Border in November 2006, Naracoorte/Penola in February 2010, and finally finishing as Pastor Emeritus in Mount Gambier in January 2018.

Peter did not always enjoy good health. Over the years he had many trips to hospital and a number of operations. In 1979 he had to take time off. He was out of ministry for more than 2 years, but he did some relief work as health permitted. But he came back, very much to his credit. He returned to full-time ministry and from then onwards served mainly in the South East. In spite of his limitations Peter was always determined to be a good and faithful priest, fully committed to his vocation.

While at Brighton in the early days of his ministry he recalled that on more than one occasion the Pastoral Associate Maureen O’Shaunessy said to him, “be yourself”, and he followed that advice in his priestly ministry, not comparing himself with any others, but being himself.

In February 1997 Peter was appointed a Member of the Council of Priests representing the mid-north Region of Priests.

Peter loved the South East and his aim was to be Parish Priest of Mount Gambier, but that wasn’t to be, but he finally got there in January 2018 when he retired as Parish Priest of Naracoorte.

In September 2008 he spent five months on study leave in the USA.

He was born on a memorable day May 7 1945. That was VE day, the day the allies won the Second World War in Europe. This may explain, at least in part perhaps, Peter’s absolute fascination with the Second World War. Information about the war was really his primary hobby throughout his life.

Peter had hundreds of DVDs. Apart from films and TV series the majority were about history and especially about WWI and WWII and of course the Third Reich. What Peter didn’t know about the wars and the Nazis was just not worth knowing.

In September 2021 in St Paul’s Church in Mount Gambier a special Mass was celebrated to mark the 50th anniversary of Peter’s priestly ordination and with a wonderful meal afterwards. That day many people came from all over the South East to honour him and thank God for his priestly ministry.

With declining health Peter moved to the priests' retirement centre at Villa Murphy in August 2022. But within a very short time he was in Calvary Hospital in Adelaide and was diagnosed with terminal cancer. They began treatment but within a few weeks the doctors ceased any further treatment. He was moved to Calvary Flora McDonald at Cowandilla to be cared for in his final days.

Peter died in Calvary Flora McDonald nursing home on January 1 2023, aged 77. His funeral Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Patrick O'Regan in St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral on January 15, with a good number of fellow priests concelebrating. He was buried in Centennial Park Cemetery.

May his gentle soul rest in the peace of the Lord.