When people dream things happen. Born as part of the nobility of Malta at the turn of the 20th century (b. 1877), the Servant of God Joseph De Piro was shaped by the missionary movements sweeping Europe at the time in the Catholic Church, to which he was exposed in his seminary training in Rome.
After turning his back on his myriad possibilities stemming from his noble birth, both as a career person and within the church itself, he dared envision a new role for priests and brothers, in his country Malta, by setting up the Missionary Society of St. Paul, as a new congregation with a specific goal of evangelizing. Whilst actively involved in multiple roles -philanthropy with orphanages, politics at a time of turbulence and conflict in Maltese society, church roles such as the rectorship of the Seminary, and the appointment as Dean of the Cathedral Chapter – Mgr De Piro clung to his first dream: the setting up of the Society.
He nurtured his little plant through its early beginnings, begged authorities to approve it, and endured the disappointments of its early struggles with members joining and then leaving. He saw through the first missioning of a member, Br. Joseph Caruana in 1928, and made plans to visit him in Abyssinia, in 1933.
When he died suddenly in 1933, he left the Society he founded still in its infancy. Yet, because it was not a monument to him, but a charism of God’s spirit, De Piro’s Society has survived, grown, and branched out.
Today the name of De Piro graces mission posts such as the Philippines, Pakistan, Malta, Peru, Cuba, Australia and Canada. But more than the name of the man, it is the dream which he dreamt which lives on: a dream from a nobleman, with a noble heart.
Visit the official site of Canonisation at www.josephdepiro.com
God, Our Father, we give you thanks for the many favours with which you have deigned to enrich your servant, Joseph DePiro who worked tirelessly to spread your word among the nations and to help all those in need. We ask you Lord, with the intercession of this your Servant, to grant me the favour that I am presenting before you ……. and if it is your holy will, may he one day be glorified here on earth as one of your saints. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen
Dios Padre Nuestro te damos gracias por todos los favores con los cuales te has dignado colmar al Siervo de Dios, José De Piro quién trabajó incansablemente para difundir tu palabra entre las naciones y ayudar a los mas necesitados. Por la intercesión de este Siervo tuyo te pedimos concederme el favor de ……. que te presento frente a ti y si es según tu santa voluntad, que sea glorificado aquí en esta tierra como uno de tus santos. Te lo pedimos por Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amen
Dio, nostro Padre, ti ringraziamo per i tanti doni con i quali ti sei degnato di arricchire il tuo Servo, Mons. Giuseppe de Piro, che si è impegnato instancabilmente per annunciare la tua Parola alle nazione e per aiutare i bisognosi. Per l’intercessione di questo tuo Servo, noi ti chiediamo, Signore, di concedere la grazie che ti sto chiedendo, e se fosse la tua Santa Volontà, che un giorno egli sia glorificato qui sulla terra come uno dei tuoi santi. Noi te lo chiediamo per Cristo nostro Signore. Amen.
O Alla Missier, niżżik ħajr għall-grazzji kbar li bihom għogbok tagħni lill-Qaddej tiegħek Ġużeppi De Piro, li ħadem bla heda biex igħin lil min hu fil-bżonn. Nitolbok, Mulej, bl-interċessjoni ta’ dan il-Qaddej tiegħek, taqlagħali l-grazzja li qed inressaq quddiemek ….. sabiex il-qdusija tiegħu tiġi magħrufa minn kulħadd u jekk inhi r-rieda qaddisa tiegħek ikun hu igglorifikat fuq l-art bħala wieħed mill-qaddisin tiegħek. Dan nitolbuhulek permezz ta’ Ibnek Ġesù Kristu Sidna. Amen