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Eulogy at the
Funeral Mass
for the late
Joe Mangion
by Joe Fenech
29th April 2003
It is an honour to be asked to farewell a dear
friend who has left a mark on so many people.
I will touch briefly on his life and contribution, in so many ways, with
Maltese and Australians alike.
Joe was born in Malta and came to Australia in the
early eighties. He continued his career as a teacher with Patrician Brothers
Blacktown soon afterwards and stayed for practically 20 years in the same
profession.
I knew Joe and his family briefly in Malta as a
young boy attending Mosta Primary School, and caught up with him at Horsley
Park Parish. I got to know him better as we both shared the same vision of
organising a Good Friday Procession on the Maltese tradition. We used to meet
regularly on committee meetings and had long conversations on the phone on many
subjects, especially on the pastoral care of students and he expressed his
frustration with me at not being able to achieve the goals he had in mind.
One of his great passions was his deep love for the
missions. He used to plan in detail missionary activities, which raised funds for
the poor and needy in Pakistan, Peru and the Philippines. One of the events
that come to my mind is the Irish-Maltese Concert he had organised in this very
same spot, where he combined the two cultures to involve not only the Maltese
but our good Irish friends. I am sure St Patrick has already reserved a special
place for him among the Maltese and Irish souls.
Joe was very active in the welfare of the Maltese
community and was much sought after for his sound advice. He occupied the
position of Past President of the Maltese Welfare (NSW) and was asked many
times to be the MC for seminars and information sessions.
He also made a big contribution with Family Crisis
Service as a counsellor. At Patrician Brothers his role in welfare was as a
Year Advisor and with the Pastoral Care Team.
As a friend, I admired his sincerity and strong
beliefs in matters of principle. Yet at the same time, Joe was open-minded and
willing to listen to other people's opinions and to incorporate the good
suggestions of his friends. His philosophy was that if we all agree with one
another, all of the time, then we will miss out on achieving a higher standard
and outcome.
To conclude, I would like to express our sincere
sorrow for the loss of a great friend, a loving family man, a community
contributor and a dedicated teacher who gave much to the lives of the boys who
had the privilege of knowing him.
Joe was a person who integrated well with every
person, of any culture, in his community, parish and locality.
