Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
The Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and Shrine commemorated the recent passing of the Rev. Peter Sordi with an 11 a.m. Mass on June 1. The Mass was concelebrated by local Scalabrini priests, with Bishop Lawrence Sabatini and the Rev. Nicholas Marro speaking during the services. (708-344-4140)
Rev. Peter was born and ordained in Italy, accepting his first position as a parish priest at Holy Guardian Angels and Our Lady of Pompeii in 1946. He taught at Sacred Heart Seminary in Stone Park, served in various leadership roles on the provincial and general levels for the Scalabrini Fathers, and served at St. Callistus and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in the Chicago area in addition to several parishes in Canada.
He was greatly admired by his fellow priests, who saw him as a role model. “He was intelligent, friendly and deeply spiritual,” Bishop Sabatini says. “Simplicity and wisdom were his main characteristics.”
His parishioners would often comment that his homilies were never flowery and flamboyant, but solid and nourishing. “He was a priest’s priest, always putting his parishioners first,” Rev. Marro says.
Congratulating him at the 40th anniversary of his priesthood, his superior general noted, “You have put into action the precious gifts that God has given you at every level of active apostolate,” later noting that “Fr. Sordi is of great example. He is a wise man.”
