By Glynnis Grainger
BUNBURY Diocesan priest Fr Gaetano Crocetti, 84, three of whose sisters are Presentation nuns, died peacefully at St John of God Villa on 17 April, following his parents and sister Antonietta in having returned to their Creator.
His funeral Mass was held at the Redemptorist Monastery on 23 April, celebrated by Bunbury Bishop Gerard Holohan, Bishop Myles McKeon, retired Bishop of Bunbury and many priests of Bunbury Diocese and Perth Archdiocese.
Perth Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton presided, representing the Archbishop.
The eulogy was given by colleague Fr Noel Fitzsimons from the Bunbury Diocese.
Fr Fitzsimons said in his eulogy: “Fr Gaetano was for most of his life a wonderful companion, gentle confessor, great joke teller, especially on the golf course in the endeavour to put you off your game, and a generous host at his presbytery when his mother was cooking.”
In his later years he was battling with illness and became more reserved and introspective, Fr Fitzsimons said.
He was born in Penne, Italy, and came to Australia in 1934 when he was eight years old, with his family. His father had come to Australia some years earlier and established himself and purchased a small home for the family in Beverley during the Depression.
Fr Gaetano was educated by the Presentation Sisters at their convent in Beverley.
In 1942, at the age of 16, he entered the newly-established St Charles Seminary as a foundation student, having been tutored in Latin by his parish priest, Fr – later Monsignor – Maurice Giles.
He also had to overcome his father Guiseppe’s natural desire to keep the family name perpetuated, as Gaetano was his only son.
After completing his philosophy course at Guildford, he studied Theology at Manly and was ordained in 1951.
His first posting was as assistant to Fr John O’Mahony at Wagin, with sometime assistance to Fr Giles at Narrogin. His next posting was to Shenton Park and Mgr Collins, for six months.
He was next appointed as assistant priest at Manjimup, less than two months before the Diocese of Bunbury was excised from Perth, in December 1954. He was one of the founding fathers of the Bunbury Diocese.
In 1956, he was posted to Bunbury, where he spent the next seven years, during which time his father died.
Mrs Concetta Crocetti then purchased the house in Mosman Park opposite Iona Presentation Convent, where her two eldest daughters had entered the convent.
She and youngest daughter Josephine were engaged as housekeepers at the Bunbury presbytery, much to her son’s delight and the benefit of the Bishop and priests. In 1963, Fr Gaetano was called upon to serve the parish of Gnowangerup, until Fr Fitzsimons was appointed there in 1966.
Fr Gaetano went to Italy with his mother in 1965 and met for the first time all the extended Crocetti family. It was a wonderful reunion and Fr Gaetano had the happiest memories of that holiday and of the several months he spent touring Ireland on a motor scooter.
His next appointment was to Lake Grace from 1968-1972, and this coincided with the appointment of Bishop Goody to Perth Archdiocese and of Bishop McKeon to Bunbury. The parish had eight or nine Mass centres. His mother was his housekeeper and a wonderful cook.
At the death of Fr Tom O’Neill, Fr Gaetano was called to the Chancery Office in Bunbury, the most difficult call of all. He had to do accounts and “mountains” of office work, for which he had no training. There were no computers, email, faxes or photocopiers to help him.
He served in the office for eight years, as well as looking after South Bunbury, exacting a heavy price on his health, Fr Fitzsimons said.
In 1980, his mother Concetta died after being struck by a car in Bunbury. He had lost his confidante and best and most loyal friend.
Fr Gaetano served in the parish of Harvey for over 10 years before retiring through ill-health to the family home in Mosman Park, then St John of God Villa.
His beloved sisters, Sr Immaculata, Sr Maria and Sr Emmanuel – the latter two were born in WA – were his ministering angels and a great comfort to him in his illness.
“If any priest deserved the highest accolade for steadfast and selfless service to the Diocese of Bunbury, Fr Gaetano would be my nomination,” Fr Fitzsimons said.