Joseph De Piro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Reverend MonsignorServant of God Joseph De Piro MSSP |
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| Founder of the Missionary Society of St Paul | |
Mgr. Joseph De Piro
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| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1902 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 2, 1877 Mdina, Malta |
| Died | September 17, 1933 (aged 55) Hamrun, Malta |
| Nationality | Maltese |
Joseph De Piro (born November 2, 1877 – died September 17, 1933) was a Roman Catholic priest and missionary from Malta. He is famous for starting the Missionary Society of St Paul (MSSP) in June 1910. This group of missionaries follows the example of St Paul to spread Christian teachings. Joseph De Piro is considered a Servant of God and is being considered for beatification, which is a step towards becoming a saint.
The Life of Joseph De Piro
Joseph De Piro was born in Mdina, Malta, on November 2, 1877. He first studied law at the University of Malta. However, he soon decided to change his path. He chose to study for the priesthood instead.
De Piro became a priest in Rome in 1902. He worked in many different church roles. But his biggest passion was for missions and helping people in need. He especially wanted to help the poor.
Starting the Missionary Society
Joseph De Piro worked hard to create a new group. This group would be made of priests and brothers. Their main goal was to spread the Christian message, also known as the Gospel. In 1910, he welcomed the first two members to his new society.
It took eleven years for the local bishop to officially approve the group. Seventeen years later, in 1927, Brother Joseph Caruana became the first missionary from the society. He was sent to Ethiopia. Brother Caruana stayed there until he passed away in 1975 at 83 years old.
Growth of the Society
De Piro started with a small community in Mdina. He passed away in 1933 at the age of 55. At that time, his society was still very new. Over the years, more people joined the Missionary Society of St Paul.
The society began its mission work with Maltese people living abroad. They started in Australia, and later expanded to the United States and Canada. The first mission in Australia was in Sydney in 1948. Three years later, they started a mission in Melbourne. Both cities had many Maltese people, with 23,000 in Melbourne alone.
In 1968, the first group of three missionaries went to work in Peru. Later, the society opened missions in Pakistan and the Philippines. Today, the main office for the society is in Rome. They have communities in Australia (Melbourne and Sydney), Peru (Arequipa and Lima), Pakistan (Lahore), and the Philippines (Manila and Bataan). The newest mission opened in Cuba in 2017.
