Obituary Notice
This obituary notice has been digitally processed from a scanned archival document. Some words may be imperfectly rendered.
Br. SERAPHIN Pesci (1821-1894) BRO. SERAPHIN OF ST. PHILOMENA (PESCI) 1821-1894 Luigi Pesci was born in Ceprano, Italy, on 15th September 1821. He entered the Congregation in Italy at the age of 18, and was professed on 4th September 1840, Appointed to the English Mission, he arrived at Ere, Belgium, in 1848, In 1850 he was called to England by Fr.Eugene Martorelli, the acting=-Provincial, and stationed in Broadway. When Mount Argus was founded in 1856 he was appointed to the new community, and was thus the first Passionist Brother in Ireland. He assisted at the first Mass said in Mount Argus by Fr.Paul Mary Packenham. On 25th September 1864, Bro. Seraphin was transferred to Paris as a member of the first cammunity established there in Rue de Berri, and he laboured in Paris for the next 30 years until his death at Avenue Hoche. ' During these years he became a well-known and much-loved figure in the French capital. In his obituary notice it is stated: "He was held in high esteem, not only by his own brethren, but by the ecclesiastical dignitaries of the diocese, the clrgy and the laity who frequent the church" /St.Joseph's/ (1) In 1889 he celebrated his Golden Jubilee as a Passionist, and the above note is borne out by the very large number of guests who attended on that occasion, among them two princesses, two countesses, and a baronet and his wife. Tangible expression to the esteem in which Bro.Seraphin was held was given in a number of valuable gifts, amounting to several hundred pounds, made to the church in Avenue Hoche in thanksgiving for Brother's long service there. These gifts included Na, superb set of richly embriodered vestments... a chalice of solid gold...exquisite cruets in silver... a handsomely-bound missal... and a magnificent altar-cloth in costly lace together with handsome cadelabra..." (2) As a further mark of esteem, Gounod composed a special Mass for the occasion and presided at the organ. Besides his duties within the house, Bro.Seraphin exercised a highly successful. apostolate among the English-speaking girls who at that time came in their numbers to Paris hoping to find employment as governesses or domestics. Unprotected and alone in a foreign country, these girls were exposed to considerable exploitation. To help them Bro.Seraphin dstablished an employment agency at Avenue Hock: and was the means of securing good positions for many of these girls and, incidentally, “gained many wealthy and influential friends /amongst the employers/ for the Mission'' (3) Early in November 1894 he caught a severe cold which developed rapid- ly into pneumonia. Through the care and skill of Dr.Hestres, a benefactor of the community, the pneumonia was arrested and cleared up within ten days. . Owing to his advanced age, however, the illness had left him very weak, and he did not recover. "In the early morning of the 24th /November/ he was unusually bright, conscious of the presence of all who came to him, and had a word for each. At 8.15 a.m. a fit of weakness supervened the cheerfulness and after the Absolutions and in the midst of the prayers for the dying, conscious to the last (if we could read aright his placid, unsuffering countenance) his soul passed calmly to God." (4)
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.