Item 1045 - Mr Michele Checchia SJ

Born: 06 June 1900, Biccari, Foggia, Italy
Entered: 01 October 1915, Naples, Italy - Neapolitanae Province (NAP)
Died: 18 May 1926, Leura, New South Wales, Australia - Neapolitanae Province (NAP)

Part of the St Francis Xavier’s, Lavender Bay, Sydney community at the time of death

Came to Sevenhill , Australia (HIB) studying

◆ HIB Menologies SJ :
1922 He was sent to Australia, in the hope that the climate would improve his TB. However, he died there 15/05/1926

◆ David Strong SJ “The Australian Dictionary of Jesuit Biography 1848-2015”, 2nd Edition, Halstead Press, Ultimo NSW, Australia, 2017 - ISBN : 9781925043280
Michele Checchia was a member of the Naples province who came to Australia with Raffaele Gennerelli in 1922, both suffering from tuberculosis, in the hope that the dryer climate would help in their treatment. They went to Sevenhill where Checchia studied English for two years, but as the illness progressed he was moved to a clinic at Leura, NSW, while attached to the Lavender Bay community.

Note from Rafaelle Gennerelli Entry
He came to Australia and did juniorate studies at Loyola Greenwich in 1922, but soon became too ill and joined Michele Checchia at Sevenhill, where he died in September the following year.

◆ Irish Province News
Irish Province News 1st Year No 4 1926
Obituary :
Mr Michael Checchia
Mr. Checchia belonged to the Province of Naples. He went to Australia in 1922 in the hope that the climate would cure him of tuberculosis. But the disease was too far advanced, and he died at Lavender Bay on the 15th May, 1926.