HONG KONG (SE): Father Pietro Galbiati, of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions [PIME], passed away peacefully at 4:00am on May 31 at Canossa Hospital, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception announced in a Facebook post on June 1. He was 95 years old and had served at the cathedral for 17 years, from 1999 to 2016.
Father Galbiati was born in Italy in 1930 and ordained a priest in 1957 by then-Archbishop Giovanni Battista Montini of Milan, who would later become Pope St. Paul VI.
After four years serving in a seminary, he was assigned to Hong Kong in 1961, where he studied Cantonese and English on Cheung Chau, thus beginning a missionary pastoral career that spanned many decades.
In his early years, Father Galbiati served as assistant parish priest at Rosary Church in Tsim Sha Tsui. He was subsequently assigned to serve at St. Paul’s Chapel in Yau Ma Tei and Ss. Peter and Paul’s Church in Yuen Long. In 1981, he was recalled to Italy to focus on the formation of seminarians.
He returned to Hong Kong in 1986, serving as parish priest at Sacred Heart Church in Sai Kung and later, at St. Alfred’s Church in Shatin, while also acting as director of the Caritas Social Centre in Shatin.
In 1999, Father Galbiati joined the community of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception as an assistant parish priest, serving until 2016. He acted as spiritual director for various lay associations and visited patients at Canossa Hospital each week, dedicating his life to nurturing lay faith and encouraging vocations within families.
He celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of his priesthood in 2017.
A memorial Mass was celebrated on June 5 by cathedral parish priest, Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming.
The vigil Mass is scheduled for June 10, at 8.00pm, at the cathedral, to be celebrated by Father Joseph Chan, vicar general.
Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., will preside at the Funeral Mass on June 11 at 10:00am, also at the cathedral.
Burial will follow at St. Michael’s Catholic Cemetery, Happy Valley, to be presided by Father Franco Bellati, pime
Albs and violet stoles will be provided for concelebrants. In lieu of flowers, please offer prayers for the deceased.
