In Piam Memoriam

RIP Rev. Alain Degny Attiale Maxime

I went to serve Mass this evening for a priest friend of mine who I had not seen in about a year. I recall a while back that he told me a priest who had been studying at the Academia in Rome, and who had spent some time with Father in England learning English, was tragically involved in boat accident and died off the coast of Tanzania where he was working at the apostolic nunicature. I discovered only this evening that it was the very same young African priest who I had met back in 2009 after serving Mass for my priest friend. Some of you may recall I wrote a post about a young priest studying at the Academia who had given me his cufflinks, which he had been given as a gift from the Holy Father when he had an audience with him just a few weeks before. I remember he said to me that he didn't wear cufflinks, but noticed I was at the time, and he ran upstairs and gave them to me. Though the circumstances of the boat accident remain uncertain, it is believed that Fr. Alain drowned whilst perhaps trying to save another (older) priest who was with him.

The following is a link to a Google translation (thus expect dodgy translation in places) of an Italian homily delivered by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State for the Holy See, remembering the life of Fr. Alain. 

This was a young priest in his early thirties, just beginning his new life as a diplomat for the Holy See when his life suddenly came to an end. Out of charity, please pray for his soul and for his family and friends who still mourn his passing from this world.

Father Alain Degny Attiale Maxime: 1976-2011

Requiescat in pace. 

Amen.

Benedicite.