4th July 2015

Today marks the 39th anniversary of the massacre of our 5 Pallottine confreres, Frs. Alfredo Leaden, Pedro Dufau, Alfie Kelly, and students Salvador Barbeito and Emilio Barletti, on Sunday July 4th 1976.

There will be a concelebrated Mass to honour their memory held in the Parish of San Patricio, Belgrano, Buenos Aires, at 19.00. The Mass will be preceded by a gathering for reflection and prayer on the theme “Like them, witnesses of the Mercy of God”, this gathering will take place in the Instituto Anunciacion de Maria, in the neighbourhood of Belgrano.
Today also the Pallottine Community in Mercedes gathered at 11.00 at the Pallottine plot in the local cemetery where the three priests are buried to pray for the eternal repose of their souls.

On Friday July 3rd the Municipality of Mercedes honoured their memory in a celebration held in Colegio San Patricio. The students of the secondary school presented an investigative study to the Municipality in 2014 and petitioned that the section of the 19th street, between the 12th and 14th streets, be given the name of the two seminarians. The Municipal Council acceded to the petition and the plaque was unveiled and blessed in a ceremony attended by the Lord Mayor, municipal authorities, education authorities, the staff and pupils of the school along with Frs. Tom O’Donnell, Mariano Pinasco and members of the Parish Community in Belgrano. The four blocks which border the school, parish church and community house now bear the names of Frs. Alfredo Leaden, Pedro Dufau, Alfie Kelly and Salvador Barbeito and Emilio Barletti.

The ceremony ended with the naming of the school library as the Alfredo Leaden Library.