In a spirit of great joy and gratitude, Fr Jude Pirotta MSSP is celebrating 40 years of priesthood this year. And it was with great ‘secrecy and surprise’ that his parish of 19 years, St James the Apostle in Hoppers Crossing North, hosted a special celebration for Fr Jude at the Easter Vigil Mass on 30 March. Fr Jude reflects on his life of faith and service, inspired by the love of his parents, and particularly the example of his mother, giving thanks for all who have been, and continue to be, part of his priestly journey.
Fr Jude Pirotta was born in Yallourn and grew up in nearby Morwell, in the south-east of Victoria. He is the eighth of 11 children born to Sam and Ann Pirotta, both having migrated from Malta in 1948. His parents also fostered another eight children in his lifetime. The Pirotta family lived across the road from his local Catholic parish and primary school, St Vincent’s (run by the Josephites), in Morwell. He later travelled to Traralgon to attend the Marist-run St Paul’s Secondary College, now known as Lavalla Catholic College.
Mum was passionate about her faith, and she practised it.
Fr Jude says he grew up in a ‘committed and faith-filled family’ with the example of his parents, particularly his mother, playing a significant role in his formation and journey to priesthood. ‘My parents introduced me to a loving and compassionate God from a young age,’ he says, ‘They actively cared for us as a family, and witnessed a God that cares for the poor. Dad brought joy into the home, and Mum was full of responsibilities, running around and feeding and serving the household, including strangers.
‘Mum was passionate about her faith, and she practised it. The mere fact of taking all those children on board, I used to say, “Mum, you can’t keep doing this”, but she’d say, “We have to help those in need”—people who were struggling, people who were battling. Mind you, we were battling ourselves! But she demonstrated faith in action in those moments.’
He says, ‘Mum possessed a great faith right until the day she died. I remember a verse in her funeral booklet: “Always welcome the stranger. It could be God you are welcoming.” And that, to me, was something that Mum really exemplified.’
When Fr Jude was 12 years old, his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was encouraged to go to Germany for treatment. Tragically, he died two years later, in 1974, when Fr Jude was 14. During that time, many priests and nuns were regular visitors to the Pirrota’s home. The family were supported regularly with meals, visits and prayer. Saturday morning Mass was always followed by the Rosary, offered especially for his father.
‘I started to see a genuine care from the priests and the Josephite sisters during this time’, says Fr Jude. ‘I was supported greatly by Fr David Cagney, the parish priest at St Vincent’s, and was inspired by his prayer life and genuine concern and care for my family and all people who were in need. So I think I was attracted to their pastoral care. It was very hands-on. And it wasn’t just preaching at us, but they actually witnessed and modelled the living of the Gospel.
‘It was during this time that my vocation to the priesthood began, as I asked the deeper and more fundamental questions of life after Dad’s death: Why am I here? Why was I born? What’s the purpose of living? And what’s the meaning of life?’
I witnessed religious life for the first time and was drawn by the brotherhood and community life.
Fr Jude discussed his budding desire with his parish priest, Fr Cagney. He continued to pray deeply and was encouraged to attend a few Marist Brothers’ vocation camps. But it was a ‘Come and See’ weekend hosted by the Missionary Society of St Paul (Paulist Missionaries) in Wantirna that really captured his heart.
‘It was there that I witnessed religious life for the first time and was drawn by the brotherhood and community life,’ says Fr Jude. ‘I shared in their prayer life, recreational activities, and heard about their ministry service in other countries, serving the poor, and the joy that they expressed in providing education and service to those in need. I think that’s when there was a burning desire. And so I made the decision to commit myself to religious life and serve God’s people.’
Fr Jude was 18 years old when he joined the Missionary Society of St Paul. He studied for the priesthood at Catholic Theological College in Clayton, served as a deacon in Pakistan in 1983, as part of his missionary placement, and was ordained a priest at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Dandenong on 31 March 1984, 40 years ago.
He served as an assistant priest at the parishes of St Bernadette’s in North Sunshine and St Michael’s Parish, Traralgon, and between 1998 and 2004, he was parish priest of Our Lady of Victories in Horsley Park, New South Wales. He did a clinical pastoral education course at the Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, for 12 months, where he was part of the interdenominational chaplaincy team, and also spent a year in England at the St Anselm’s Institute for personal development and pastoral care. In 2005, Fr Jude began his ministry at St James the Apostle Parish, Hoppers Crossing North, where he’s been parish priest for the past 19 years.
The heart of my priesthood is to constantly convey a ministry of service—to be available for people. How do we demonstrate Christianity in action? The heart of it is to always remain focused on Christ. That’s where I get my motivation.
As he reflects back on his 40 years of priesthood, Fr Jude says there have been many challenges and highlights. The challenges have included a rapidly changing culture, and the many issues and difficulties faced by parishioners. ‘It has been a gift to be able to walk with people in their joys, pain and struggles,’ says Fr Jude. ‘For me, the heart of my priesthood is to constantly convey a ministry of service—to be available for people. How do we demonstrate Christianity in action? The heart of it is to always remain focused on Christ. That’s where I get my motivation.’
Speaking of the many highlights of the priestly vocation, he says, ‘One highlight in particular has been a changing understanding of the role of lay people and how they are beginning to claim their rightful place in the Church. And also, a real hunger for faith formation and knowledge that will equip the laity to take more ownership and responsibility in the Church.
‘We are an outward facing community at St James, with a missionary charism, and as such, we encourage our community to go to the margins and to meet people where they are. Our motto is: “A welcoming, faith-filled, caring community”.’
He also enjoys journeying with young people and supporting them to be more community-minded, especially in a world that seems to promote individualism and independence as a means of personal fulfilment. ‘I have endeavoured to encourage our young people to cultivate friendship with Jesus Christ and to invest in family life, building relationships within their community, and to join with others to serve the poor and alienated in society,’ he says. ‘And that’s what we’re seeing emerging in our young people.’
At the Easter Vigil Mass on 30 March this year, Fr Jude was left ‘speechless for quite a while’, feeling a sense of ‘total surprise’. At the conclusion of Mass, Fr Jude was called to the centre of the altar as Parish Pastoral Chairperson Geralyn McCarthy spoke on behalf of the parish:
‘For these many years, you’ve served God and his people of faith, and you’ve shown remarkable leadership in helping God’s people, us, to recognise our gifts and to use them to build up the Church. As priest, you’ve led us in worship. As leader, you’ve developed and communicated to us, the people of God, the wonder of the Gospel, while as pastor, you have ministered to us in so many different situations. So we thank God for you, and for the use of your gifts.’
I thank God for the priesthood, that the priesthood was not only for me, and the many people I had served in those 40 years, but rather for the whole Church, the whole people of God.
In front of the congregation, Fr Jude renewed his priestly vows, and with outstretched hands, those gathered for the Mass sang a blessing song over him. More than 300 parishioners then joined Fr Pirotta in the church community centre afterwards, with the celebrations continuing until 11pm!
‘I was sure everyone would have other places to be on that night,’ says Fr Jude, ‘so I felt really loved and affirmed that evening.’
Fr Jude says he has ‘a litany of thanks’ in acknowledging the many people who’ve been part of his priestly life, and who continue to be so.
‘Firstly, I thank God for the priesthood, that the priesthood was not only for me, and the many people I had served in those 40 years, but rather for the whole Church, the whole people of God.
‘Then I thank my parents for their witness of faith and love, my siblings, and their families—family has always been very central in my life. I thank my brothers of the Missionary Society of St Paul, for their support; the Paulist lay community who have been a marvellous part of the journey; to the many brother priests and bishops that I’ve met along the way who have constantly affirmed my ministry and for their friendship and support. To my schoolmates and to all the people along the way—they have all been instrumental in maintaining my love in the priesthood and in religious life.’
As I look forward to the years ahead, I’m full of confidence in the future. God is so very good, and how could we not be full of gratitude, enthusiasm and confidence?
And to his parish, he had a special message of thanks: ‘I thank the parish family of St James where I’ve served for 19 years of those 40 years. I thank them for their generosity and all the people along the way who have actually ministered to me as well, especially when life’s been quite challenging. I am grateful for their prayers, and reassurance of those prayers, their kindness and appreciation of who I am. You are truly encouraging, and really have been a touch of heaven on earth, which I’m very grateful for.
‘It’s a unique and profound grace that allows me to know, love and serve a God, in his people, in the sacred ministry of Jesus Christ. I am grateful to God for all the gifts he has bestowed upon me. As I continue to live my priestly vocation, even after 40 years, I’m still full of enthusiasm to serve God and his people in the Church.
‘As I look forward to the years ahead, I’m full of confidence in the future. God is so very good, and how could we not be full of gratitude, enthusiasm and confidence? I just thank the people for being part of the fabric of my life in that journey.’
