Aidan Primavesi, who was born on 29th March, 1887, at Swansea was sent to school at Ampleforth, and there received his vocation to the Religious life. On 29th September, 1905, he received the Benedictine habit at Belmont and became Brother Francis; his religious profession was on 8th March, 1907, and he was ordained priest at Ampleforth on 11th July, 1913. At the outbreak of war in the following year, when Father Stephen Dawes (who will be long remembered as parish priest of Cockermouth and founder of Keswick) went off to become a chaplain to the Forces his successor on the staff of The Priory, Workington, was the young Father Francis. The older generation of Workington Catholics at the present time still remember well this first period of Father Primavesi's work in the parish: at that time he established a Boys' Brigade, and for the last few years of Father Francis' life one of the members of his Boys' Brigade, now a senior citizen, served his Mass daily. In 1917 a patch of bad health forced on him a rest and change, but after six months his recovery was complete and he himself became an army chaplain. At the end of the year he was drafted to the Western Front, and the period which followed was the most memorable of his life, making a lasting impression on him. In 1919 he returned to Cumberland for a short time, to help his brother who was parish priest of Cockermouth. In 1920 he again acted as chaplain to the Forces when he went out to India. On his return he worked for short periods in Warrington, Cardiff, and again at Warrington for four years. He had a great concern for boys between the ages of 11 and 15 and he had a considerable influence over them. Leaving Warrington in 1927, he was appointed to St Peter's, Seel Street, Liverpool, as an assistant to his brother, and during his eight years' stay in Liverpool he established a Boys' Club which became known throughout the City for its excellence; and these years were for himself a period of great work and fulfilment. In 1935 he became parish priest of Maryport, and in 1940 parish priest of Aberford and Garforth, near Leeds, remaining there for seventeen years until he was compelled to retire through ill-health. Early in 1958 he went back to Workington badly handicapped and stayed there until his death on 13th July, 1972. The parishioners of Workington will retain a memory of Father Francis' great courage and faith, the short figure struggling down to the church daily in spite of rain, hail, or snow, to offer the sacrifice for which he was ordained.
May he rest in peace.
ADRIAN FRANCIS PRIMAVESI 13 July 1972
1887 29 Mar Born Swansea
1898- to 1905 Educ Ampleforth
1905 Habit at Belmont
1907 8 Mar Simple Vows
1908 30 Aug Minor Orders
1911 8 Sep Solemn Profession
1912 8 Sep Subdeacon
1913 2 Mar Deacon
11 Jun Priest
1909 One year at Oxford
1914 24 Jan Workington
1917 17 Feb St Mary's Warrington
17 Nov Military Chaplain
1919 7 Jun Cockermouth
1920 2 Dec Canton Cardiff till 1922
1923 Jan to Apr Voyage to India as Chaplain to Troops
23 Jun St Benedict's Warrington
1928 28 Mar Seel St Liverpool
1935 Parish Priest at Maryport
1940 Aberford
1958 28 Feb Workington till he died
1972 13 Jul Died
Buried at Workington