September 11, 2016
This is to inform you that FR. PIERRE T. TRITZ, S. J. died last night in UST Hospital, Sampaloc, Manila. He would have been 102 later this month. Fr. Tritz entered the Society on 2 October 1933 and was ordained a priest on 4 June 1947. He was hospitalized Friday afternoon with what initially seemed to be pneumonia, but turned out to be major heart failure.
Wake: The wake begins this evening in the High School Multipurpose Room of Xavier School, San Juan, M.M. Daily wake Masses at 8 p.m. On Tuesday the body will be waked during the day at ERDA Tech in Pandacan, and then return to Xavier School for the evening Mass.
Funeral Mass: On Wednesday, 14 September at 8 a.m. in Mary the Queen Parish Church, next to Xavier School.
Interment: Sacred Heart Novitiate Jesuit Cemetery, right after the Funeral Mass.
Requiescat in pace.
BIOGRAPHY OF FR. PIERRE T. TRITZ, SJ (1914-2016)
By Sch. Amado T. Tumbali, S.J.
Assistant Province Archivist
Fr. Pierre Thimer Tritz, S.J. was born on 19 September 1914 in Heckling, Bouzonville, France where he first studied in the public school in 1920. He attended secondary studies at St. Joseph College in Florennes, Belgium, 1927-33. On 2 October 1933, he entered the Jesuits in Florennes. He was sent to Hsien Hsien, China to continue his juniorate and study Philosophy (1939-42). He did regency, first in a high school in Kungshang Tientsin, China (1937-39) where he taught Ethics and Civics; second, at Tsinku University, Tientsin, 1942-44 as administrator of sports activities and director of discipline. He did his Theology at Bellarmine College, Zi-ka-Wei, Shanghai, China (1944-48) and obtained his Bachelorate and Licentiate in Theology. A year later, on 1 October 1949, the People’s Republic of China was proclaimed under communist rule. Earlier, he had been ordained priest by Bishop Augustine Haouisee, S.J. at St. Ignatius Church, Zi-ka-Wei, Shanghai on 4 June 1947. He returned to France for tertianship at Seminaire des Missions, Ineuil par Chateauneuf-s-cher from 10 October 1948 – 2 February 1949.
As a priest, his first assignment was teacher of Religion and moderator of Alumni Association and Atelier at St. Joseph College, rue de Venise, France (1949-50). Then, he was sent to Chabanell Hall in Mandaluyong, Rizal; his community for 15 years. There, he was sub-minister for scholastics (1950-51), and minister of Chabanel Hall (1951-52). He studied Psychology and Guidance at Ateneo de Manila University (1958-60). Before and after his special studies, he worked in educational institutions: Araneta University as chaplain and instructor of Religion and Philosophy (1952-69), director of student personnel services (1958-69), and dean (1966-69); Ateneo de Manila Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (1961-73) as an instructor; Far Eastern University (1969-78) as instructor of Educational Guidance and Psychology while chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital, Quiapo; and University of the East (1970-78) as instructor of Education Guidance and Psychology. He also held directorships and chaplaincies to various groups: director of Center for Chinese Students in España (1969-77), director of Recon Personnel Services in España (1975-82), chaplain at RVM Immaculate Conception Students Residence in España (1978-79), chaplain at Hospital of the Infant Jesus in Laon Laan (1979-2014), president of Foundation for Assistance to Hansenites, Inc. (FAHAN, 1978-2014), and president of Albert Schweitzer Association of the Philippines (1998-2000).
On top of all these ministries, Fr. Tritz has been best associated with the Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation, Inc. which he founded in 1974. For more than 40 years, ERDA has sent around 800,000 youths to school in its tie-up with 150 organizations. In 1994, ERDA established Erda Tech, its own school in the middle of an urban poor community in Pandacan. In 2009, ERDA Tech was adopted by Xavier School, Fr. Tritz’s community since 1965.
A naturalized Filipino citizen (1974), Fr. Tritz was awarded Germany’s Supreme Commander of the Order of Merit Award in 2004 and France’s Order of Legion of Honor in 2007. During one of the awarding ceremonies, Ambassador Herbert D. Jose remarked, “India may have its Mother Teresa; the Philippines has Fr. Tritz.”
Fr. Pierre Tritz,101, died of major heart failure at 7:43 p.m. on 10 September 2016 at UST Hospital, Sampaloc, Manila.