Christian

Dear Brothers,

It is with great dismay that I inform you that Fr.
Michele Piccirillo returned to the House of the Father this morning. He
would have been 64 in a few weeks. Although it may be considered brief,
for a scholar like him, his existence was nevertheless full due to the
intensity with which it was lived and the spiritual motivations which
produced the fruits that matured.

It is impossible to summarize in a few lines his 40
years of activity at the service of the Church and the Holy Land. The
memory of Fr. Michele with be handed down for many years by us and many
experts will appreciate and teach what he wrote, discovered or
illustrated. Here are the words that the President of Italy, Carlo A,.
Ciampi, wrote to him on 19th February 2001: “Thank you for having
received us at the Franciscan Mission of Mount Nebo and having been our
guide at the Memorial to Moses, the church and the Archaeological
Mission. It was impossible for any of us not to be struck by the
Biblical memory and the contemporary message of peace and hope that it
transmits to us, which we need today more than ever.

In seventy years since the start of the excavations on
Mount Nebo, the Franciscan Archaeological Mission has restored life to
a page of Sacred History that is at the origins of Christian
civilization. Visiting Mount Nebo is to see roots that we knew but
which we believed invisible and buried.

The rediscovery of the site which extends towards the
Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, facing Jericho and Jerusalem, has
profound significance for everybody, whether a believer or not. The
traditions of the three great monotheistic faiths converge there,
bearing witness to a common heritage that must orient us towards mutual
respect and comprehension.

It had been just over a year since the emotion of the
Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where you had also accompanied us, acting
as guide and illustrating to us how history and faith were intertwined.

I rejoice with you for the vision that the
archaeological research of the Mission inspires: rediscovering the
past, the Franciscans of the Holy Land help those who govern to build
up a future of peace. This is the aim to which I intended to contribute
with my visit to Jordan and to Israel.”

Fr. Michele truly honoured the Custody of the Holy
Land, indeed, the whole of the Church. His work, as well as being
appreciated by the Jordanian authorities, had the force of showing how
the roots of the people, who live in the Middle East, are above all
Christian. “Few others,” wrote the Jordanian Association “Friends of
Archaeology” to him when they awarded him a prize, “have worked in
Jordan and in other countries like Father Piccirillo to promote the
archaeological heritage of Jordan… With his enthusiasm, the rigour of
his scientific training and the piety of his faith in God, he has
taught us how to transform a piece of coloured stone into a document of
history and humanity. He has revealed to us mysteries, truth and
messages of our ancestors; their life and their religion.” In the grief
of the loss, we thank the Lord for having given us Fr. Michele
Piccirillo: we bless him for the examples of industriousness and piety
that we have received from him. With Fr. Michele, the Custody loses an
exemplar figure of friar minor of the Holy Land.

We also bless him for the harsh illness that he supported with patience, allowing himself to be purified.

A cordial thanks to the doctors and nurses of the
Hospital of Pisa-Cisanello where he was operated, to the Policlinico
Gemelli, Romne, where his tumour was diagnosed and initially treated
and the Hospital of Livorno where he passed away.

Fr. Michele was 64 years old, he had 47 years of
profession and 39 years of priesthood. There will be three holy masses
for the repose of his soul, as for every priest. The other friars must
take part in three Holy Masses and perform three Stations of the Cross.
In every fraternity, a Holy Mass will be celebrated in common. We ask
you to celebrate these masses for the repose of his soul promptly so
that our brother can be admitted to the presence of the Celestial
Father quickly, mindful that what we will have done for others, will
also be done for us.

St. Saviour, 26th October 2008