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Greetings to all whose lives were profoundly touched by Don PiGi,
This evening, I pay tribute to Don PiGi Perini. My first meeting with him remains very clear. It was in 1989 during a seminar/workshop/retreat in Rome. He had spoken for about 10 minutes in his broken English about the reality of life in his parish. In San Eustorgio, almost 1,000 people met each week in small faith communities. The idea of such communities, ever growing, ever multiplying, grasped me that evening.
I now believe that this encounter led me to what we now term ‘a missionary conversion’. The vision sown then has continued to guide me. It has shaped my life as a priest. One of the treasures I so dearly retain is a beautiful chalice, which Don PiGi presented to me in Carrickfergus. I use it only on special occasions and it serves to enkindle his inspiration.
Don PiGi was a true evangelizer at heart. He was blessed with a deep trust in the person of Jesus as his Saviour. He lived out this trust with great clarity in word, enormous courage, faithuflness and a palpable love of people. God blessed him with the gift of calling people to trust God and to engage in the work of evangelization.
He seemed to hold a special place for Ireland, and loved hearing stories about all that happened there. He warmly welcomed Irish people as they attended the annual International Seminars in Milan. I know he also greatly enjoyed his visits in Ireland to speak at the national seminars including in Carrickfergus, Kilkenny and Leixlip.
In Ireland, learning of his death brings a real saddness. Even more real is gratitude at the vision of evangelization he communicated. We thank God for him. We pray for him, for his family and for the family of parish cells in San Eustorgio and worldwide.
You may wish to join his funeral mass on Saturday next at 10.00am (Irish time).
May he now enjoy eternal rest after his life’s labours. No doubt he looks out upon us and exhorts us together with Paoletta & Fr Mike Eivers: ‘Go, evangelize. Go, make disciples’.
Fr Michael Hurley and the Irish Cell Particpants.
This evening, I pay tribute to Don PiGi Perini. My first meeting with him remains very clear. It was in 1989 during a seminar/workshop/retreat in Rome. He had spoken for about 10 minutes in his broken English about the reality of life in his parish. In San Eustorgio, almost 1,000 people met each week in small faith communities. The idea of such communities, ever growing, ever multiplying, grasped me that evening.
I now believe that this encounter led me to what we now term ‘a missionary conversion’. The vision sown then has continued to guide me. It has shaped my life as a priest. One of the treasures I so dearly retain is a beautiful chalice, which Don PiGi presented to me in Carrickfergus. I use it only on special occasions and it serves to enkindle his inspiration.
Don PiGi was a true evangelizer at heart. He was blessed with a deep trust in the person of Jesus as his Saviour. He lived out this trust with great clarity in word, enormous courage, faithuflness and a palpable love of people. God blessed him with the gift of calling people to trust God and to engage in the work of evangelization.
He seemed to hold a special place for Ireland, and loved hearing stories about all that happened there. He warmly welcomed Irish people as they attended the annual International Seminars in Milan. I know he also greatly enjoyed his visits in Ireland to speak at the national seminars including in Carrickfergus, Kilkenny and Leixlip.
In Ireland, learning of his death brings a real saddness. Even more real is gratitude at the vision of evangelization he communicated. We thank God for him. We pray for him, for his family and for the family of parish cells in San Eustorgio and worldwide.
You may wish to join his funeral mass on Saturday next at 10.00am (Irish time).
May he now enjoy eternal rest after his life’s labours. No doubt he looks out upon us and exhorts us together with Paoletta & Fr Mike Eivers: ‘Go, evangelize. Go, make disciples’.
Fr Michael Hurley and the Irish Cell Particpants.