On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, the friars of the San Giacomo alla Lungara Friary in Rome celebrated the birthday of Friar Celestino (Arrigo) PEDON who has reached the prestigious milestone of ninety years of age.
The celebration began with Mass in the community, presided over by Friar Celestino himself. There was an opening speech by the Guardian, Friar Renzo DEGNI. He expressed the joy and sentiments shared by the whole community with regard to their affinity towards this exemplary brother. Friar Renzo saw Friar Celestino as someone who was always smiling; a deeply human and cultural person, one whose presence enriched his fraternal community.
A fraternal lunch followed. It was enlivened by the presence of Friar Celestino’s brother, sister and nephews who came from Padua, the friars of the community and some of his student assistants who had worked with him during his long years of teaching in various Italian universities.
On Saturday, November 11, the celebrations continued with a convivial gathering that included Friars Giovanni VOLTAN and Francesco PANIZZOLO, both from Friar Celestino’s home Province of St. Anthony of Padua (Northern Italy), as well as his long-time university assistant, Clara AMATO and her family who came from Pisa, Italy.
Friar Celestino has lived in Rome for many years. He first lived at the Santi Pietro e Paolo Friary. He has been living at the San Giacomo Friary for the last fifteen years, where he has held the position of Vicar Guardian. Friar Celestino tirelessly continues his work as a university professor. Today, however, he teaches his students online as they advance toward their degrees and doctoral exams.
During his many years as a university professor, he has served as the Dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the Free University LUMSA of Rome and as a full professor in the field of work psychology at the same university. He was an associate professor at the University of Verona, where he taught methodology of behavioral sciences, then continued as a full professor teaching the same subject at the University of Padua. For fifteen years, he taught as a full professor in the field of work and organizational psychology at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the Free LUISS Guido Carli University of Rome.
His literary and scientific publications in the field of psychology are impressive. They include: Methodology of Behavioral Sciences, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1995; Methodology of Psychological Research, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2004 (with A. GNISCI); and Methodology of Qualitative Research, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2008 (with F. LUCIDI and F. ALIVERNINI). He edited The Dictionary of Qualitative Methods in Human and Social Research, Borla Publishers, Rome, 1996, and also published Validity in Psychological Research, again with Borla Publishers, Rome, 1996. Finally, he published Psychology and the World of Work: Introductory Topics to Work Psychology, LED Publishers, Milan (with R. MAERAN).
The friars of the San Giacomo community, the friars of Friar Celestino’s Province of Padua and the friars of the Italian Province of St. Francis of Assisi (Central Italy), which is hosting him, wish him a long life of serenity and spiritual fruitfulness.
Friar Paolo FIASCONARO
San Giacomo Friary
