SALESIAN MOORINGS
At the age of 22, he made his profession of poverty, chastity, and obedience for the sake of the young in Don Bosco's family. With this, the fundamental moorings of his life were set. No matter where his life would take him after that, Peter Lappin had pledged to remain with Don Bosco, and that he would do.

CHINA
Peter volunteered to replace the great Salesian missionary Fr David Hourigan, who was unable to return to China due to ill health. Peter set off for China in 1935, and spent the next 15 years there.
In Hong Kong it took him several years to learn Cantonese sufficiently well. Once his language skills were adequate he was sent to mainland China, to Shanghai, in 1939, to continue his studies in theology and also to begin working with Chinese youth.
He spoke English, French, Italian, Cantonese, Spanish, and Latin. 'I can make myself thoroughly misunderstood in several languages,' he quipped.

CONCENTRATION CAMP
He was interned in Shanghai at the start of World War II by the invading Japanese Army, and it was in that concentration camp he was ordained in 1943, by a bishop who was his fellow prisoner! It was two years before he was free again. While freedom was indeed welcome, the situation in 1945 remained very difficult, as food was very scarce. Four years later, with the Communist take over in China, the Salesians had to leave their mission in Shanghai.

UNITED STATES
Peter returned to Ireland and then made his way to the United States where he kept himself up-to-date with an M.A. in Communications at Fordharm University and Post-graduate studies at Columbia University Advanced School of Writing. He took up US citizenship in 1956.
He spent his first decade working out of New Rochelle (New York), lecturing, preaching on the missions, helping to launch the Salesian Bulletin, fostering a re-awakening of the Salesian Cooperator vocation, and writing. In 1960, he moved to the Salesian work in Haverstraw (New York) to develop the Marian Shrine and to begin almost 40 years of ministry to the Irish community of Rockland County, New York.

SALESIAN WRITER
Writing was a passion for him. The missionary passion that had taken him halfway around the world to China now expressed itself through writing and encompassed the whole world.
He wrote 22 books on Salesian figures. Two of his books were made into films, which-in addition to taking third place at the Venice Film Festival-brought his message to even wider audiences. Peter was known to say, in order to be a writer one needed a leather neck and a leather backside. 'The leather backside to keep you sitting down and writing; the leather neck to deal with the criticisms that your books are going to get.'
Peter was painstaking in his research. For the biography of Cardinal Cagliero, Conquistador, and the biography of Zepherino Namuncurà, Bury Me Deep, he spent over a year travelling throughout South America by plane, jeep, horse, and donkey to check out the old mission archives. For the biography of Fr Michael Rua, The Wine in the Chalice, he spent ten months in the archives of the Salesian Generalate in Rome.
Peter was convinced that the field of communications was field most ripe for the Salesian mission. He often lamented that in the United States, of all places, Salesians did not use the field of communications to better advantage.

IRISH
Ireland was also a passion for Peter. Throughout his life he played an active role in the Ancient Order of Hibernians and became chaplain of the AOH in Rockland County and of its Ladies' section.
In honour of the Golden Jubilee of his ordination, the State of New York designated 23 May 1993 "Father Lappin Day in Rockland County". How proudly he walked down the main street of Pearl River that year as Grand Marshall of the city's St. Patrick's Day Parade!
Peter was on mission always, to reveal God's nearness, love and joy. The fact that God was near meant that injustice could not stand. For him, all should experience God's nearness and freedom. So, Peter was passionately compelled to do all he could for a resolution to the conflict in Northern Ireland. While a resolution was not near at hand, he joined his efforts to those who worked to bring young children out of settings of violence and spend their summers in Rockland County.
The Irish News quoted a spokesman for AOH in New York: 'Fr Lappin was a frequent visitor to Northern Ireland in recent years and remained convinced that lasting peace was attainable for that land.
'The octogenarian priest referred to those who oppose Ireland's Good Friday Peace Accord as 'dinosaurs'. He said the peace opponents were rendering themselves extinct by their own anti-minority attitudes.'
Fr Peter would have rejoiced to see the courage shown by those politicians who worked with Senator George Mitchell to move that peace process forward. His prayer would be that violence be a thing of the past, and that the country of his youth be a fit place for youngsters to become good Christians and upright citizens.

THE QUEEN
The Salesian community was sitting around the dinner table one evening years ago, with Fr Peter at one end and the much beloved Fr Adam Bede Connolly at the other.
As much as Peter was a son of Ireland, ABC took pride in being one of Her Royal Majesty's loyal subjects! A light banter began between the two, and at one point Peter officiously stood up and, while banging his fist on the table, shouted, 'Enough, Connolly! Tell us now, and tell us the truth! When you die and enter heaven, and you see two figures approaching you-one being Mary, the Mother of Jesus and Queen of the Universe, and the other being Elizabeth, Queen of England,-whom will you greet first? Tell us the truth!' he thundered. He paused and waited. Slowly, Fr Connolly rose from his chair, with a twinkle in his eye he responded, 'Why, I'll greet the Queen, of course!' This left Lappin thundering, 'You see, he won't say it! He won't say it!'
Fr Peter is buried in the Salesian cemetery, Goshin, in upstate New York, where over 400 people came to lead him to his final resting place on 4 August 1999.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.