On the morning of March 6, 2023, at the Cervello Hospital in Palermo, where he was hospitalized following heart and lung complications, further aggravated by the covid infection contracted there, fell asleep in the Lord
GIUSEPPE MESSINA, TOR
85 years old, 68 as a religious and 59 years as a priest. He was born on 18 July 1937 to Martino and Giuseppa Masseria. As a boy, he began on his vocational journey by entering our Convent of Calvaruso (October 25, 1949) and, subsequently, in the Collegio S. Maria del Giglio in Sciacca where he completed his secondary school studies. He completed his novitiate year in the Jesus Ecce Homo Convent in Calvaruso and made his profession of religious vows on October 4, 1955, and his solemn profession in 1958. He continued his studies in Rome at the Gregorian University. On March 14, 1964 he was ordained a priest by Cardinal Luigi Traglia in the basilica of S. Giovanni in Laterano and then returned to Sicily where he held various offices: Prefect of boys in the Seraphic College of Giglio in Sciacca (1964), Master of novices in Calvaruso (1966), Bursar at S. Lucia del Mela in the Sacred Heart Convent (1968). In the provincial congregation of 1969, he was elected local minister and parish priest of our Community of S. Anna in Palermo and since then he has always exercised his ministry in the parish and above all in the archdiocese carrying out delicate services. In his seventies, he also held the office of Definitor and Provincial Secretary.
In 1983, after years of study and scrupulous and passionate research, he wrote the Obituary of the Religious of the Province whose updated and expanded edition was published in 1997 with the title Necrologio dei Religiosi del Terz’Ordine Regolare di S. Francesco. His latest study Religiosi del TOR di Sicilia. Dai vespri Siciliani alla galleria d’arte moderna was published in May 2006, expanded and accompanied by a historical and chronological itinerary of the church and convent of Sant’Anna la Misericordia, the mother house of the Province.
He was a member of the Provincial Historical Commission and contributed to the drafting of the volume La Provincia di Sicilia dei Ss. Gioacchino e Anna del TOR dal secolo XX ai nostri giorni (2007). Due to his human and spiritual abilities he was called by Cardinal Salvatore Pappalardo (1989) and later by Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi (1996) to serve the local Church as Episcopal Vicar of the VI pastoral area.
Lately unable to carry out his priestly ministry, he dedicated himself to prayer and listening to the many faithful who also reached him by telephone to receive advice and comfort from him. He worked tirelessly in the Lord’s Vineyard with enthusiasm becoming “everything to everyone” instilling optimism and hope and doing his utmost to alleviate the suffering of others by providing for both spiritual and material needs.
The funeral was celebrated on March 9 in Palermo in the Church of S. Anna by the Provincial Minister, Fr. Massimo Cucinotta, in the presence of about thirty priests including confreres, religious and diocesan presbyters and numerous faithful who crowded the Church including the two sisters Maria and Giuseppina, with her husband Giuseppe, and their respective children and grandchildren. Fr. Francesco Masseria TOR, at the end of the funeral recalled the human and spiritual qualities of his cousin.
In the morning, the Archbishop of Palermo, Mons. Corrado Lorefice, blessed the body expressing deep gratitude for the service rendered to the Palermo Church.
In the afternoon his mortal remains were buried in the cemetery of his town of origin Chiusa Sclafani (PA). May the Lord of Life welcome him into his heavenly abode, show him His face of mercy and bring to fulfillment in him the paschal mystery of his Son, in whom he believed, becoming an apostle and tireless witness.