Fr Eugenio Amitrano was born on the eighth of February 1923. The sixth of eight children. He followed the course at the University of Pere Fourcade as they called the school of the Sacred Heart of Barracas founded by the well-known Father Theodore Fourcade. At 12 he passed from the elementary school to the minor seminary of our congregation nearby. He had already been distinguished as a young boy for his literary and artistic abilities. He made his novitiate at Barracas and entered the Scholasticate at Adrogue on the fifth of February 1945 with the future priests, Domingo Miner, Enrique Laseun, Alberto Larranaga, and others. Because of his intellectual abilities, his priestly ordination was advanced to the 24th of September 1949 so that he could be sent to study in Rome.

The doctor theology fresh from the Gregorian University began his ministry at the apostolic school of Barracas. Besides being a spiritual director, he was in charge the choir, gave classes in Latin, Greek, French, botany, psychology, philosophy, taught the piano and other practical things. In 1960 he was appointed superior to the community and headmaster of the Apostolic School when it became a secondary College four years later which enabled the minor seminarians to obtain official diplomas.

In 1966 Fr Eugenio became parish priest of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart which had serious need of restoration. He applied himself to this task with determination and was supported by the enthusiastic parishioners.  He profited from this by adapting the building to the new liturgical requirements of Vatican II. Among other initiatives of this period was the re-foundation among the laity of the Cursillo Movement; a new course for marriage preparation; creation of a leisure centre and a school for training altar servers, a centre of excellence in the diocese; reorganisation of parish premises; and monumental Cribs at Christmas.

In 1992 he left his dear Barracas after more than 25 years; he spent a year at the church of San Juan-Baptiste and then was appointed to Villa Betharram in Adrogue as master of novices.  He devoted himself also to the service of the diocese of Lomas de Zamora.  Having been appointed superior of the community of Rosario in 2001, his health began to decline and he had to return to Adrogue.

Since 2003 he was like a patriarch in the house of formation, established as the regional novitiate, where he found his friend and companion Enrique Lasuen. The man of prayer and a witness of faith in sickness, he lived out in his body the mystery of the cross, celebrating the Eucharist until he could no longer raise his arms. The last mentioned in the register of masses celebrated by him numbers 25,496. No doubt he would have celebrated at least  26,000.

He had a robust constitution and a joyful disposition. Fr Eugenio loved to sing, he was a very good speaker and a good cook... as a young man he loved literature, writing, poetry and the Theatre. He produced magazines, played music, wrote sketches, conducted the choir, especially in the Scholasticate at Adrogue; he had many friends among religious orders, in the diocese among whom were cardinals and bishops and many laypeople who had become benefactors of the Basilica and the College nearby.  He knew how to keep contact with this numerous family. He was a notable preacher, sought at the cathedral of Buenos Aires and throughout the country for retreats and parish missions.

He was a zealous and fervent priest who responded to the first call of the sick, day or night whatever the time. A great Confessor who gave God's forgiveness all over the place, standing, sitting, walking... how many pilgrims at the shrine of our Lady of Lujan have benefited from his presence!  He never complained when he had to replace one of his companions for Mass or a celebration at Barracas or Adrogue even when it took him to the limit of his strength.

Fr Eugenio struggled constantly against his volatile and impulsive temperament. He didn't hesitate to ask pardon even in public when he realised that he had hurt someone. The Sacred Heart and the good Shepherd had fashioned his heart, not without sparing him deprivration and up rooting. "The vow of obedience is what costs me most." he confided when he had to leave Barracas after 25 years.

His residence at Rosario was marked by a rash of illnesses. However when he asked to return to Adrogue, the Sacred Heart continued to mould him. Yet he was a good disciple of Saint Michael Garicoits who let himself the led "where he would rather not go". He offered his limbs which had walked so much, and were now confined to a wheelchair, he learned to depend on others. He offered his voice which had echoed, without microphones, throughout the vaults of our Basilica into an enforced silence

as he meditated in his heart like Mary the mystery of "here I am" which had directed his life from beginning to end.

On the evening of Saturday the 26th of May, Mary's day, he rejoined the church in heaven to drink at the source of life and of love. With the passing of Fr Amitrano a way of Betharramite and priestly life in being a witness of the church of Christ has disappeared. May we have the same generosity and the same desire to be the church which Jesus desires at the beginning of the third millennium.

Francisco "Paco" Daleoso,SCJ