Rev Stephen Pisano SJ

1946 - 2019

BORN

1946

DIED

2019

Stephen Pisano Obituary

Name: Memorial Mass for Rev Stephen Pisano SJ
Start: 2019-10-23T17:30:00.000Z
Location: St Gregory

Rev Stephen Pisano SJ

Stephen Pisano S.J. died Monday Oct 7, 2019 in Rome.
He was born April 16, 1946 in New York City and moved to California with his family as a schoolboy in 1954; grew up in Burlingame and attended Bellarmine Prep. Upon graduation from high school in 1964, Steve entered the Jesuit Novitiate in Los Gatos, he followed the usual course of Jesuit formation, and then taught for two years at St Ignatius in San Francisco (1971 and 72). He was then asked to study Theology in Paris. While there he became interested in a one year course on Biblical Criticism in Rome, moving to the Pontifical Biblical Institute just down the street from the Trevi Fountain. Steve must've tossed a coin or two into the fountain because he spent the next 43 years in Rome serving alternately as Dean of Studies, Superior of his community and Rector of the school, a graduate level college specializing in reading and accurately translating biblical texts in their original languages. Steve was an internationally renowned scholar and an accomplished linguist, reading and speaking all the usual modern European languages as well as Latin, Greek, Hebrew and an assortment of ancient Middle Eastern languages and dialects.
A modest unassuming man, he welcomed occasional visits from friends and family and then tired them out with his energetic walking tours, an energy left over from his high school cross country track days. In his earlier years in Rome he jogged as often as possible, his favorite route was by the Forum and around the Coliseum.
While never serving as a parish priest he said Sunday Mass for years at Trinita dei Monti church at the Spanish Steps and occasionally at St Gregory in San Mateo when visiting relatives in California.
Steve will be remembered for his quiet wit and welcoming listening ability; he returned often to California to meet fellow Jesuits and to offer spiritual direction to novices and veteran priests alike.
Internment was at the Jesuit cemetery in Rome, there will be a memorial Mass at St Gregory, 2715 Hacienda St, San Mateo on Wednesday, Oct 23 at 10:30 AM
Remembrance donation may be made to Pontifical Biblical Institute, via della Pilotta 25, Rome 00187 Italy

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Oct. 16 to Oct. 22, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for Stephen Pisano

5 Entries

Ramón Meza

October 19, 2024

El padre Stephen Pisano fue un sacerdote jesuita cuya humildad era tan profunda como su erudición. Su figura se erigía como un faro para aquellos que buscaban adentrarse en los misterios de la Biblia, especialmente en el apasionante campo de la crítica textual.

Su conocimiento de las lenguas bíblicas era enciclopédico, y lo manejaba con una facilidad y naturalidad que inspiraban respeto y admiración. Sin embargo, lo que más destacaba en él era su inmensa paciencia para transmitir estos conocimientos a otros. Con una didáctica impecable y un entusiasmo contagioso, era capaz de hacer comprensibles los textos más complejos, despertando en sus alumnos una auténtica pasión por la investigación crítica.

Gracias a su guía y orientación, tuve la oportunidad de descubrir un mundo nuevo, un mundo donde cada palabra de la Biblia se convertía en un enigma por descifrar, en un tesoro por descubrir. Su influencia en mi vida fue profunda y duradera, y marcó el rumbo de mi propio camino académico.

El padre Pisano no era solo un erudito, sino también un mentor y un amigo. Su humildad y su generosidad eran cualidades que lo hacían aún más admirable. Siempre dispuesto a escuchar, a compartir sus conocimientos y a ofrecer su apoyo, dejó una huella imborrable en todos aquellos que tuvieron la suerte de conocerlo.

Su legado perdura en las mentes y los corazones de quienes tuvimos el privilegio de aprender de él. Y aunque ya no esté físicamente con nosotros, su espíritu sigue vivo en cada estudio bíblico, en cada investigación crítica, en cada palabra que pronunciamos al intentar comprender los misterios de la fe.

Gino Chilleri

March 29, 2020

I am so deeply saddened to read of the unexpected passing of Fr. Pisano. I remember him well as a young Jesuit scholastic at St. Ignatius in San Francisco from 1970 to 1972, where I was one of his students of Religion, Latin and Greek. He was very quiet, reserved and pensive, yet also friendly and approachable. I remember how patient and methodical he was when guiding us in translating Plautus, Livy, Caesar and Cicero as 15 and 16-year old students. To my great fortune, I met him for one last time on Memorial Day in 2013 while traveling in Rome, after an interval of over 40 years. Despite the passage of time, his memories of his days at St. Ignatius were vivid, and his quiet wit was undiminished. A great loss to the Jesuit Community, biblical scholarship and scholasticism. May he rest in peace.

Gino A. Chilleri

Cesare Mariano

December 17, 2019

Sono stato suo alunno al PIB, negli anni 2000-03. Stringemmo un buon rapporto di amicizia perché i suoi nonni erano originari di Laurenzana, un paese della Lucania vicino al mio. Nonostante le sue vaste conoscenze e gli incarichi prestigiosi che ricopriva, era una persona umile, paziente e molto gentile. Aveva anche un'ironia lieve e benevola. Soprattutto, era un uomo di fede, un vero prete cattolico. Che il Signore lo accolga nella sua pace.
don Cesare Mariano

November 28, 2019

Wonderful sweet man first met in Rome, then in our collaboration to the edition of Biblia Hebraica. Pray for us.
Yohanan P. Goldman

Dominic Niu

October 30, 2019

R.I.P. my mentor! Never imagined it'd be our last meeting when you signed my approval for publication of my thesis 6 yrs ago. Be my patron in heaven for my ministries and teaching here in China. I need a lot of your wisdom and guidance!

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