Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Fr. Luigi Pesciaroli (1806-1874) ; Familiar as we are with the life and death of Blessed Dominic, we all know that. he was assisted in his last agony by a fellow- 'Passionist, Fr.Luisi (1), who accompanied him on his last journey trot London. Who was this man and what was his history ? Fr.luigi Pesciaroli (2) was born at Cancpina, just north of | Rome, on 17th. June, 1806. Urban Young and Osmund Thorpe describe hin as a relative of Tr Doviinie’, ‘but névther authdy quotes any authority. fon this, mgr. is..this -relationship mentioned by any of the other .many. biographers, .af Bl. Dominic. L2° te ‘was “ordained ‘As" 3 ‘Secular privet” on 21st.< Hécenber, 1826, ' joined our Congregation 43 years ‘Tater,’ and was professed on 17th. May, 1840, as Luigi of the Five Wounds. Soon after his profession he voluntecred for the Mission to the Australian Aborigines, for which, at that time, Bishop Polding, OSB, was secking the help of the Passionists. With three other ° 5 Passionists (3) he left Rome in the summer of 1842 (4), to spend a short time at our newly-founded Retreat at Ere before noing on to the Benedictine Abbey at Douay, France, to study English. On Ist. November, 1842 the four Passionists sailed for Australia, Of them all, Fr.luigi seems to have suffered most on that journey, for, recalling it in a letter to Fr.Anthony of St.James, General, in 1849, he describes "the long sea-voyage" as "so wearisome, so unconfortable, so dangerous,' and continucs, "For 25 daya I suffered from a sea sickness which not even the five different remedies the captain gave me succeeded in curing." (Archives of the General Curia, quoted by -Osmund Thorpe ) The Mission was established at Dunwich on Stadbroke Island, N.S.W. Writing to Bl.Dominic in 1847, the General describes it ag Yan almost: desterted issland, where they (the missionaries) have not the means to accomplish anything, nor even the means of obtaining what. is ‘neess ary poagre necessities of life such as are given to position in which 4k is impos Ssible to do- what ‘they ¢came 50 far for" (Letter dated: 13/4/1847" in: Géreral: “Archives,” quoted: by” Osun? Thorpe) “the Yabours and sufferings. of Fr, Luigi. and. ‘his: /companions in Australia and the fortunes: of the Mission | to ‘the. Aborigines are fully recorded in Fr.0Osmurd Thorpe! S$ book "First Catholic Mission to the Australian Aborigines" (Pellegrini & Co., Sydney, 1950) When the Mission finally failed, Yr.Luiri together with Fr, Joseph Snell and Fr. Maurice Lencioni left. Dunwich in June 1846 and arrived in Adelaide the following September, They rented a house in Grote. Street, where Fr.Iuigi kept house while his two companions supported the commundty by teaching languages and music in the locality. After a long delay a letter eventually reached the Fathers from the Gencral in which he suggested three possibl:: courses of “actions: to return. to Europe if they could find the necessary money;
- 2 = . IDI No.4 to join Fr.Peter Magganotto (1) in Sydney; to place themselves under the authority of Bishop Murphy as liissionaries Apostolic in South Australia. The latter was, in fact, the only course open to then at: the time, so Fr.Iuigi became assistant priest at Mount Baker, where he lodged with a Catholic family and lived "on the charity of another priest." (Letter of Fr.Maurice Lencioni to Bl. Doniinic dated 22/7/1848; General Archives): During all his time in Australia Fr.tuigi was hampered in his missiomry endeavours by his inability to speak Entlish. As he said hiriself in a letter written to the General in 1849: "I could not nanage to learne English, I could not learn it during the three ‘years we lived with the Aborigines, for that was impossible, nor during the 2 years and 2 months I spent in Adalaide." (Genrral Archives) In spite of his poor command of Enpliish it is clear from various rofcrences,in his letters both to the. General and to B1l.,Dominic that, on the failure of the Mission to th. Aborigines, he wanted to work with the newly-founded-Passionists in England. Eventually in 1849 he succeeded: in getting the necessary money for his return to * Europe. In his own words: "When the Catholics (of Mount Baker ) heard of ny determination (to go to Europe), in their charity they helped me, one here and one there, to get together the money necessary for my passage from Adalaide to England." (Letter from Fr,luigi to th: General dated 1849 . Ge eral Archives) He arrived in England on 19th, August, 14849, and wes welcomed at Poplar House, Hampstead, by Bl. Dominic, who expressed his joy ina lctter.to the General written a week before his death: "Last Sunday on returning here .(Poplar House) I found to. my pleasurable surprise that Fr.Luigi had arrived back. Deo gratias et Mariae. I am very happy that this good Father who has suffered so many - contradictions in the new world will now be able to be useful here - in the old." (General Archives) So it was that eight days after his arrival in England, Fr. Luigi happened to be the ond to accompany Bl.Dortinie on his last journey from Paddirigton en ‘route to Stroud, It was he who tended Bl.Dominic in the five hours of his last agony; it was he who gave hin Absolution in articulo mortiss; and it was he who broke the news to the Vicar at Poplar House that Fr ,Bominic was dead. As has been said, Fr«siuigi clearly: intended to atay and work in England. Only two days after his arrival at Poplar House he . wrote to the General: “Although my health is much impaired, I shall - devote myself quietly to the study of. the English language....TI suffer from palpitations of the heart and from attacks of nerves...» However, I shall do what I can. Pray God that he will enable me to do something in his service during the short time that remains to me, for I foresee it will be very short, especially in this climate" (Letter dated 21/8/1849 - General Archives) His, broken health and the English climate, however, defeated his purpose, and he remained only a few months in England (2). When exactly he returned to, Italy is not recorded, but at the end -of November, 1849, Fr.Anthony of St,James, Gener al, writing to Mgr, Barnabo, Secretary of the &.Congregation of Propaganda,’ says? "Fy.Luigi Pesciaroli who becausé he had difficulty in learning English and.for other causes not trifling, was without work to do in Australia, was given an opportunity of returning to Hurope. This he accepted, even tough he had not been recalled, by me, and he has now, been in England for about two months living in our houses there. ve elle has now written to me that some grave ailments which he con- ‘tracted in Australia and 6n the lome voyages have become agrravated
- 3 = IDI No.4 in England and that in the judgment of the doctors the climate there is unsuitable for him. He has asked to return to Italy and I have yet to reply to him. As far as I am concerned there is no difficulty; he will be readily received in any of our retreats." (Letter dated 21/11/1849 =~ Archives of Propaganda Vol.4 £.394 rv.) In spite of his bad health he lived on in Italy for another 25 years ! Those. years are briefly summarized in the "Diario Necrologico" in these words (1): "Despite his poor state of health, he trie? as far as possible to fulfil all the exercises of thé common life. Averse to any special treatment ("alienissimo dal tratto co' secolari"), he stayed quietly in his cell, and it is true to say that he was continually occupied in prayer, for he was always seen absorbed in meditation. He received from God a special gift for the direction of souls. "His death happened as follows: Two years ago (that would be in 1872) he had a stroke which affected his brain so that he could no longer say Mass, though he received Holy Communion several times a weok, the last time being two days before his death. On the morning of his death, after assisting at the community prayers and attending Hass, he had a cup of coffee and walked for a short time in the corridor tpel dormitorio") On his way to his cell he had another stroke and died instantly. Sudden as his death was, it was not unforescen ("imporvvisa'!) by him, because for a long time he had suspected that his death would occur exactly as it dic. "He was a member of the Congregation for 35 years and 34 months, and he was 68 years, two months and 14 days old." (Diario Necrologico pp. 467, 468.) He disd on 1st. September, 1874, at the Retreat of our Lady of Dolours, Corneto.s
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.