Pirone LA Fr (Advertiser) new2.jpg
Date of Birth: 03/01/1934
Date of Death: 02/10/2017
Date of Ordination: 11/06/1960

Fr Luca (Antonio) Pirone OFM

Biography:

While Fr Luke Pirone was not a diocesan priest but a member of the Order of Friars Minor, he spent the greater part of his ministry in the Adelaide Archdiocese, where he became a well known and much loved priest, particularly in the Italian community.

Fr Luke (Antonio) was born in the city of Naples on January 3, 1934. He began his novitiate for the Order of Friars Minor for the Province of St Mary of Graces (Benevento) on the feast of St Francis of Assisi, October 4, 1952. Temporary vows were professed one year later and solemn profession was March 27,  1957. He was ordained priest on June 11, 1960.

After ordination Fr Luke served for two years as a spiritual director in Airola (Italy). Then after a period of study at St Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, he began ministry in Korea from 1964 to 1970, firstly as an assistant priest in a parish, then as Director of the Myongdo Language Institute for the formation of Catholic and Protestant missionaries. He became proficient in the Korean language and he assisted in the translation of the Missal and other liturgical books into Korean. He became involved in several areas of education both as a chaplain Yonsei University and as a Professor of Italian at Hankuk University of foreign language.

In April 1970 Fr Luke wrote to the Australian Provincial of the Order asking about the need for chaplains for the Italian communities in Australia. At the time there were about three quarters of a million Italian migrants in various parts of Australia. It was Archbishop Gleeson, then coadjutor Archbishop of Adelaide who put a strong case for a friar to come to Adelaide, even adding "If you can send more than one, we shall be doubly grateful".

Thus began Fr Luke's long ministry in the Adelaide Archdiocese. He arrived in February 1971 and was appointed to Albert Park where he served for four years. Then he was stationed at Paddington in Sydney for a term but returned to Albert Park in 1981 where he remained until the friars withdrew from the parish in 1990.

Ministry to the Italian people who had migrated to Australia required Italian priests who understood not just the language, but also the culture and spirituality of the Italian people. This often saw Fr Luke in high demand for preaching missions, retreats and various ‘festas’ around Adelaide as well as baptisms, weddings and funerals. He was a gifted preacher.

This outreach also involved being regularly interviewed for local Italian media in regard to various religious and social issues and saw him involved in many multicultural initiatives on a national and State level, such as the Multicultural Taskforce and Ethnic Community Council.

For a short time he served as Administrator in the Barossa Valley parish from July to December 1991 while the parish priest was on study leave. While there Fr Luke gave some wonderful talks about the faith which were well attended by local parishioners. They also enjoyed many of his stories about his time in Korea.

His final appointment was to the Hectorville parish from 1993 till 2011, during which time he also assisted Italians in neighbouring parishes with special Masses, missions, funerals etc. During this time he was attached to the St Paschal Friary at Box Hill, Victoria.

As assistant priest, he dedicated himself to the pastoral care of all the people in the parishes he was appointed to which included the Korean community. For a period of time in Adelaide, he regularly offered Mass and catechesis for the Korean community at St Mark’s Church, Magill.

On retirement from full-time ministry in 2011 he resided at Villa St Hilarion in Fulham Gardens but he continued to provide for the pastoral care of the residents as well as providing spiritual direction to clergy, religious and lay faithful who sought his wise counsel.

Fr Luke died on October 2, 2017 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital surrounded by clergy, religious and friends. He was 83 years old and had been a Franciscan Friar for 64 years and a priest for 57 years.

A Vigil Mass was celebrated at the Annunciation Church, Hectorville, on October 9, led by the Provincial Minister, Fr Philip Miscamble OFM, followed by the Funeral Mass celebrated by Archbishop Wilson on October 10.

At his Funeral Mass a special message from Fr Luke's Provincial in Italy, Fr Antonio Tremigliozzi OFM was read by Fr Philip Miscamble. He quoted from Pope Francis' message for World Mission Day 2017, which says the Church's mission is enlivened by a spirituality of constant exodus, we are challenged to go forth from our comfort zone in order to reach the peripheries ....to undertake a constant pilgrimage, to be inspired by a constant exile as we journey towards our final home. These words, Fr Antonio wrote, speak about Fr Luke who devoted his life to mission. Only two years after priestly ordination he left for Korea where he spent nine years, then he continued his exodus to Australia where he lived for 46 years.

During his 55 years of mission Fr Luke kept in touch with his Provincial Minister. In one of his last emails re the death of another friar he wrote: "I am sure I will meet with him and with all the deceased confreres in the true garden of heaven and revive in the fullness of God's presence the same joy we lived when we grew up together. Our earthy proximity is an anticipation of our heavenly and eternal closeness".

Fr Antonio concluded: "I am sure Fr Luke experiences the fullness of joy and he enjoys God's mercy, the same that he has celebrated and donated as a priest for 57 years." He added: "Dear Fr Luke, your mission goes on in heaven: pray for the Church, for our Province and for the people you met. Rest in Peace. Amen."

Fr Luke was laid to rest in the Catholic Clergy section of Centennial Park Cemetery.

May he rest in peace.



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