In Pace Christi

Fr. Carlo Furbetta was born in Fabriano, Ancona. He took his first vows in Venegono in 1937 and was ordained priest in 1943. He spent the first 12 years in Italy in the communities of Pesaro and Sulmona as formator, teacher and vocation promoter. In 1955 he left for Brazil, where he spent the rest of his life.

We take from the homily of Mgr. Aldo Gerna.

“The Gospel words of the beatitudes can be applied to Fr. Carlo, who in his long life on earth was able to answer to people with words suited to the different situations. For us he was a strong word from God for our time.

“Fr. Carlo was among the first Comboni Missionaries to be sent to the diocese of São Mateus to plant the Church there. Open and always available, he gave his missionary service almost the whole time in the State of Espíritu Santo. He started in the Serra, passing through Fundão and for one year in Serra Carapina. Then Nova Venécia and São Mateus, in the bishop’s house, where he was also vicar general from 1962 to 1965. He was then posted to Ibiraçú, Taguatinga, Nova Venécia, Ecoporanga and, finally, again to Nova Venécia (January 1999) up to his death in the hospital of Vitória.

“Fr. Carlo was a little rough on the outside, but had a good, friendly and very sensitive heart, full of tenderness and understanding for all. His sermons were good and well prepared. He was known for the power of his preaching and for the depth of its contents. He was an excellent catechist and taught with authority and skill. His catechism lessons were treasures of faith, history of the Church and social teaching.

“In his pastoral work Fr. Carlo was demanding and, at the same time, generous in giving the sacraments and in preaching the Word of God. He was able to put in order many marriages. And what should we say of the many hours he spent in the confessional, considered by him an excellent means for the progressive, but necessary return to God after one’s daily mistakes. With joy he helped the sick and took to them the comfort of God’s love. In his pastoral work he never forgot the poor.

“I would like to mention some of the characteristic traits of Fr. Carlo’s personality: his total faithfulness to the Church, the Institute and the mission; his obedience to the doctrine of faith and the moral teaching of the Church and his holy fear of God, for he never joked of God and of his will.”

Fr. Carlo was buried in the cemetery of Nova Venécia in Brasil.