Helping Albert Patrizi

Our good friend Albert Patrizi’s journey has been an inspiration to so many of those whose lives his faith, compassion, honesty and modesty have touched. For those of you who don’t know Albert, or Al, he is currently part of the prison chaplaincy programme at Yatala and Mobilong prisons and, recently, was appointed as part-time pastor of Woodside Uniting Church in the Adelaide Hills. Fifteen years ago it was a very different story. A life of difficulty and drugs had seen Al locked up in prison. When Al became involved with Kairos, a church outreach program that supports prisoners in South Australia, he began to turn his life around and upon his release he immediately sought to help those in a similar situation by himself contributing to the Kairos program.

Many of you are familiar with Albert’s story: From being an inmate at Mobilong prison, to becoming a valued member of the church family and of the men’s group at Bridgewater Uniting Church, to being ordained into ministry himself. He has proved an inspiration to so many of us with his determination to get there, despite some great difficulties at different times along his journey. He has also been an inspiration to other prisoners, not only supporting them as chaplain at Yatala and Mobilong while they serve their sentences but also as they find their way back into society upon their release.

You might know that part of the story. What you probably don’t know is that since he started earning a salary once again, Albert has been tithing part of that salary into a bank account, the funds from which he has been using to help the former prisoners in whatever form they might need. Some are on the fringes of society when they are released and have nothing at all. Al's help has provided them with basics, such as a bed or blankets, or a means to cook, perhaps a microwave or hotplate. For yet others, those in real and desperate need, with cash given out carefully. On the very morning of his first chemo session, Al was organising and paying for accommodation for a young man fresh out of prison, entering into a detox program.

A few months ago Al found that he had inoperable cancer. His prognosis is not good, and he may only have months to live. The unbearably sad news of Albert’s terminal illness has left us asking why this happened, and also what we can do to help Al and his family. As you might expect, the answer from Albert has been along the lines of ‘Nothing really, just prayer and friendship’.

However, over numerous cups of tea around their kitchen table in the last couple of months, it has emerged that there are in fact a number of things that we can do to help Albert and his family. Things that he and wife Maria have been planning for a long time, which they will now not have the time to do. Before his illness, Al had begun the process of renovating his bathroom and kitchen something that he and Maria had been thinking about for while, and that is now nearing completion. There are also, now, funeral costs to consider. And above all there is Al’s family: His loving wife Maria, his two sons, David (aged 20) and Josh (18), and his ten year old daughter Naomi. Spending as much value time with them as possible, perhaps the occasional weekend away from the winter of the Adelaide Hills, is now a priority for Al. And of course he is worried about how they will cope once he is gone.

Support in its various forms, for both Albert and Maria, has been coming in as the news has emerged of his terminal illness. We thank everyone that has helped in any way so far.  And now this is an open invitation to Al’s friends and colleagues, and to anyone else moved by his story, to help provide financial assistance to Al and his family at this difficult time for them.  We appreciate any amount than you can give to help the Patrizis at this time, any other offers of help, and any thoughts or prayers you can offer on their behalf. 

And we ask that you spread this appeal to anyone you think might be interested.


Yours very sincerely

John Morgan,
Roger Knight,
Marcus Lieneman,
Rob Combridge
Bridgewater Uniting Church and Kairos

With the support of
Rev Christa Megaw and the Church Council
Bridgewater Uniting Church

Rob Rodenburg, Chair of Kairos Mobilong Regional Committee