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Salesian Father Armand Oliveri celebrates his 100th birthday March 30 but the parish celebration has been postponed until public Masses resume. He is pictured here, seated, after a Mass at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish on the occasion of his 99th birthday in 2019. (Courtesy photo)
March 25, 2020
Christina Gray
Catholic San Francisco
World War II. The Holocaust. The Great Depression. The Vietnam War. 9-11.
Sts. Peter and Paul Parish’s Salesian Father Armand Oliveri has lived through these and other historic events in his nearly 100 years. The coronavirus is the latest.
The global pandemic has forced the cancellation of a large March 28 celebration of that milestone, parish secretary Gibbons Cooney said.
About 100 members of Father Armand’s extended family, Salesians from all over the province, members of the Salesian Boys and Girls Club, parishioners and fans of the much-loved priest planned to attend the celebration with a special Mass and party, Cooney said.
His actual birthday is March 30.
Armand Oliveri was born near Savona, Italy, on March 30,1920. His family came to San Francisco in 1929 and settled in North Beach where he attended Sts. Peter and Paul School. He was ordained in 1950 and after a long career as a teacher served as a parish priest in Canada and in San Francisco at Corpus Christi Parish and finally, Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, where he served as both assistant pastor and pastor.
Father Oliveri has been in residence at the parish since 2004 and still con-celebrates Mass.
The celebration will be postponed until after the virus is no longer a threat to the public and churches are open for Mass once more, Cooney said.
Father Oliveri will mark the day privately (with proper social distance, of course) with his fellow Salesians at the parish, he said.
On a March 27 post to the parish Facebook page, the community was invited to pray the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary March 30 with a special intention for Father Oliveri.
Until recently, Cooney had been inviting people from all around the archdiocese to send birthday cards to Father Oliveri for his milestone birthday. In recent weeks he’s been asking instead for emailed greetings at gibbons@salesiansspp.org. He will print them out for Father Oliveri.
Catholic San Francisco asked Father Oliveri through Cooney what his wish was for this special birthday.
“Blessing and thanks for all that care for him and for his family and that everyone stay healthy,” Cooney relayed. “And a new belt.”