RIP, Br John Fitzgibbon: Honouring A Life of Faith and Devotion
- maristbrothers
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
On 21 April, Br John Fitzgibbon passed away at 10:30 pm (NZ time) in Auckland, Aotearoa-NZ. Below is an obituary written by Br Peter Carroll, Provincial of the Star of the Sea Province.
Br John Fitzgibbon died at the Elizabeth Knox Rest Home, Auckland on April 21 at about 10.30pm (NZ time).
John Edmund Fitzgibbon was born in Invercargill on Christmas eve, 1934. What a Christmas gift he must have been for his parents, Margaret/ Madge (Erskine) and Edmund Francis Fitzgibbon. His was a rural, Catholic family of strong faith. He had an uncle who was a long-standing priest of the diocese of Dunedin, and his own sister Margaret entered and remains a Marist Missionary Sister.
Invercargill and surrounding areas are renowned for their strong affiliation to the traditions of their Celtic founders (Scottish Protestants and Irish Catholics). “That spirit of being faithful to tradition remained a defining mark of John’s life. He was a person who always questioned change. He did so intelligently but always with a degree of deep-seated emotion as well”, writes Br Richard Dunleavy.
He was educated at Marist Brothers’ High School, and after finishing his schooling worked in commercial enterprise. On September 9th, 1957, at age 22 (a late vocation for the time!), he was received into the Novitiate at Claremont. Twelve months later he took his first vows as a Marist Brother. He then had a short scholasticate in Auckland before starting his primary school teaching career.
He made his final profession on January 1, 1963. After several short appointments, in 1961 John was appointed to Sacred Heart College in Auckland to teach in the intermediate department and assist with the boarders in hostel duties. This larger community gave him more companionship and encouragement and he settled into classroom teaching. He was always proud of the fact that he taught the future Bishop Pat Dunn there in his first year. According to Richard Dunleavy, Bishop Pat remembered him with affection.
At the conclusion of his time at Sacred Heart and one year at Marcellin, John was appointed back to his hometown, Invercargill. Returning to his roots, he felt he understood the environment and it gave him a chance to be close to relatives and friends. He was there for six years and later returned to Invercargill for another five years.
Following his Second Novitiate at Fribourg, John took up an appointment to Pago Pago in American Samoa. John found this alien and challenging; it was very tough in every way. He returned to New Zealand in 1976 and joined the small Newtown community in Wellington. Over the next six years he enjoyed the variety of ministry, including a year working with the Sisters of Mercy Justice Team, and the various communities located nearby.
It is fair to say that John wasn’t a natural teacher and didn’t find teaching easy, yet he persevered when asked and took on other responsibilities as needed. During his second period in Invercargill, he acted as house manager for the two teams of Brothers running separate primary and high schools. At the same time, he accepted to be editor of the Province’s monthly “Marist News”. He did this well and with great success; it brought him enjoyment and a strong sense of satisfaction.
It was at this time that the Provincial invited older Brothers in NZ to spend some of their time writing letters of encouragement to young men in Lomeri and other parts of the Pacific who were embarking on their Marist vocation. Gratified by his skills in communication, John willingly accepted this invitation. Being a traditionalist, John didn’t feel comfortable with the “new- fangled computer”, but he generously took up writing to a number of young men in his copperplate handwriting. This was a “a real practical labour of brotherly love.” John Hazelman recalls that when Steve Vaea first visited Auckland, he went straight to Ponsonby from the airport to meet Jack and to thank him for his brotherly letters of support.
In 1990 he moved to Lower Hutt as Community Leader, which both he and his community enjoyed for the next nine years.
At age 72, John retired from all responsibilities and he settled into life near to St Paul’s College. All three Brothers in the community made a point of attending all daily staff briefings and College gatherings. The Headmaster, staff and students all highly valued this commitment. As Richard comments, “It was an admirable living out of our pillar of presence and keeping the Marist flame burning strongly in a much-appreciated manner”. John loved those years at Richmond Road, and he and the other Brothers were loved and valued by the mostly Polynesian students.
When the community was closed, John shifted to the retirement house at Sacred Heart. John was never a robust person, neither in build nor in health. He contended with a series of health issues. He was also realistic and practical. It was he himself who suggested he move into care, and so he transferred to Elizabeth Knox in March 2021.
While John wasn’t physically strong, he had no difficulty in offering his opinion, making his feelings known and defending his point of view. Despite challenges and setbacks, John believed steadfastly in his vocation as a religious Brother and lived it out as he thought best. He was strong in his faith and dedicated to his prayer. He was a devoted follower of Champagnat, and certainly one of his Little Brothers of Mary.
I offer our sympathy to Br John Koorey and the community at Villa Maria, to John’s sisters, Clare Richmond and Sr Margaret Fitzgibbon SMSM and their family. I also acknowledge the care that John received at Elizabeth Knox over the last four years, and also the support offered by our own health team of Cilla and Catalina.
May John now rest in the perfect peace of our boundlessly loving God.
Written by Br Peter Carroll, SoTS Provincial.
Comments