IN MEMORY OF A GOOD MAN

Peter John Keogh was born to eternal life on 9 May 2007. To me Peter was

A family man:

Peter was born in Cremorne a suburb of Sydney, NSW, Australia on 14 December 1931. He had two brothers Boyd and Chris. After Peter’s father died (when he was 17) Peter took on the role of father to his 2 younger brothers. He was married to Patricia for over 53 years and had five children: John, Maureen, Jennifer, Gregory and Daniel. He was grandfather to 15 grandchildren who were his pride and joy. Family was all important to Peter. For a time Peter was President of the Australian Family Association.
 

A man of faith:

His faith was always strong and he lived and loved the Catholic faith with conviction. He was educated by the Sisters of Mercy and the Marist Brothers at Sacred Heart Parish, Mosman. For 38 years he lived in the Augustinian Parish of St Kieran in Manly Vale NSW. He served the parish solidly in a number of capacities including the finance committee and the liturgy committee. He was held in high esteem by the Augustinians as was witnessed on the day of his funeral Mass – 7 Augustinian priests were among the nine priests who concelebrated.


A man of social justice:

As a young man Peter served an apprenticeship as an Electrical Fitter and later worked in many and varied jobs, until finally in 1960 he took a position with Formica Australia as a Test Engineer. He stayed with Formica until he retired in 1990 and was General Manager of the Industrial Division at that time. In the early days of Peter’s working life he became involved in the Trade Union and political spheres mainly opposing the Communist Party on the Sydney Waterfront. He was for a time President of the National Civic Council. The National Civic Council (NCC) is an organisation which seeks to shape public policy on cultural, family, social, political, economic and international issues of concern to Australia.
 

A follower of Francis:

In the 1960’s Peter was heavily involved at work, with a young family and with Trade Unions, Politics and the Church. He heard a Franciscan friar, Fr Paul Tindale, OFM, talk about the Third Order of St Francis and Fr Paul suggested that a group be started at Mosman. Peter joined the SFO at Sacred Heart Church Mosman in June 1965 and was Professed as a Secular Franciscan on 4 October 1966. Thus begun Peter’s dedicated life as a Secular Franciscan. In 1969 he was invited to a meeting of the three Third Orders held in Melbourne (OFM, OFM Cap and OFM Conventual). They were all separate entities then, but at that meeting, with the support of the first orders they united and became one interobediential Third Order of St Francis in Australia and New Zealand. Peter was elected National President and at the same meeting a Council was elected which was the forerunner of the National Executive of today. Then came the introduction of the New Pauline Rule in 1978. This was embraced by the Third Order and we became the Secular Franciscan Order. In 1979 Peter represented our National Council at the First General Chapter of the newly unified SFO at world level. This great event took place in Assisi in October in 1979. This lead to the confirmation of the Rule, the preparation of the Ritual of the SFO, the General Constitutions and the general Statutes. It gave the National Council the role of building and establishing the Order in Australia/New Zealand and later in Singapore and Sabah. He continued to serve as National Minister until 1986 and subsequently as International Councillor until 2001 when he was again elected as National Minister.

Peter had written in the last three years of his life that he had considered himself very fortunate to have been heavily involved at all levels of the Order for many years. It gave him much joy and pleasure, as he had seen the Order grow and strengthen in its awareness of its place in the Church and the Franciscan Family.

When asked who his role model was, Peter replied: "My role model is probably Blessed Lucesio of Poggibonsi. As one of the founders of the Order he was a working man, a family man and was able to give his life to Christ in service through the Order."

Thank you Peter, our Patriarch, who did so much for the SFO within Oceania and throughout the world.

Well done good and faithful servant!

Helen Britton sfo
National Minister – Oceania
Pentecost 2007