San Giuseppe Maria Pignatelli SI
The parish was founded by the Jesuits and the church is named after St Joseph Pignatelli (it was a world first), thus he is a father and patron to us. He was born in Spain in 1737 into a princely family. He left that life of privilege and wealth behind him when he entered the Society of Jesus or the the Jesuits at the age of sixteen. The Society was going through a fairly turbulent time with European rulers turning on them. After his ordination in 1762, St. Joseph Pignatelli served in various humble positions: teaching grammar to young boys, and working as chaplain to a prison, especially with those condemned to die.
Then came the time when the Jesuits were being expelled from France, Portugal and Spain. When the Charles III ordered the Jesuits ordered out of Spain, confiscating their property, Joseph, being of noble blood, had the option of remaining in security if he would renounce his vows. He would not do so and went into exile. Young as he was, Father Joseph became the leader of the Spanish Jesuits. All the Jesuits of Spain were taken to the port of Tarragona and banished from the country, their number filling thirteen ships. Thus, began a hard sea voyage. They had a difficult time finding a port which would accept them and were turned away from several - refugees with no home - does this sound familiar? Echoes of the Tampa. Eventually they managed to make port at Corsica, but they were soon driven from there as well. They made a forced march to the Papal States where they received a welcome. This was not to last.
In 1773 Pope Clement XIV, gave into the demands of the catholic monarchs and suppressed the Jesuit order. To the Jesuits it must have felt like betrayal, but they had taken oaths to obey and they obeyed. It was a shameful episode with around two thousand Jesuits dying in prisons in various countries and thousands of others thrown out into the streets, Joseph was thirty years of age and within the limits of obedience sought to keep his brothers together and something of the spirit of the order alive. They were long hard years. Joseph was not allowed to exercise his ministry and in many places they were greeted with suspicion and hostility. Eventually more than twenty years later a small province of the Society was allowed to be formed in Parma and Joseph at the age of 60 took his vows again and was appointed superior. Even that was not the end of his suffering and he had to move to Rome. He died in 1811 three years before the Jesuits were restored by Pope Pius VII. He was a man of great faith and courage. He suffered from tuberculosis all his adult life and never saw the restoration of his beloved Society. He truly walked by faith and not by sight. His whole world had collapsed yet his faith and prayer kept him going, loving and struggling.
The parish has a relic of Saint Joseph Pignatelli SJ which is brought out for veneration on the parish feast day. The feast of St Joseph Pignatelli is 14 November.
© 2007-2010 St Joseph Pignatelli Parish. ABN: 64 936 045 714.