Rev John Peifer SJ
Title:
Rev
First Name:
John
Middle Names:
Preferred Name:
Surname:
Peifer
Order:
SJ
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Canzem, near Trier
Country of Birth:
Germany
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
Country of Ordination:
Ordination Diocese:
Seminary:
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Melbourne VIC
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Boroondara, Kew VIC
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Biographical Notes
Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Peifer, Johannes
Pastor; born Canzem, near Trier, Germany, 16 January 1860; died Melbourne, 17 November 1948, aged 88.
John Peifer was a little stout man, very cheerful, and according to all who knew him, a holy priest. He entered the Society, 13 September 1880, and did his regency at Kalocsa, Hungary, teaching French and being prefect of discipline. Theology studies were completed at Innsbruck, 1891-94, and tertianship at Lainzerstrasse, Vienna, 1894-95. He returned to Kalocsa, 1895-97, and then, 1897-98, went to Szatmar, Hungary. He arrived in Adelaide, 5 December 1898 and worked in the Norwood parish for some time.
With his transfer to the Irish province, he taught at Xavier College for a few years, and then spent a long period, 1903-23, at St Aloysius' College, Milson's Point, teaching and working at the Star of the Sea Church. He was assigned to the parish of Hawthorn, 1923-48, where he was minister for ten years and directed various sodalities.
He was a well-liked member of the province. His manner was charming, his demeanour always cheerful, his humility quite unassumed. Yet he was a man of sound learning, especially linguistically in the classical tongues, in French and in Hungarian, as well as in his native German. He was much appreciated both at St Aloysius' College and at Hawthorn, and was the last survivor of the Austrian fathers.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)