In Pace Christi

As a young man, Fr. Gabriel Marcon was awarded a teacher’s diploma; he was active in the Catholic Action Youth and as a parish catechist. During the war he was called up for military service. When the war was over, in the confusion that followed 25 April 1945, Gabriel, to avoid being caught up in the net of the small Republic which the Fascists were trying to create, deserted from the army and, since he had no money for the train fare, crossed the river Adige on foot and reached his home.

At that time Fr. Pietro Villa was visiting the parishes looking for vocations. Gabriel heard the Lord calling him. He was asked to teach mathematics at Trento, in the junior school of Muralta. He did his novitiate at Gozzano (1953-1955) and theology at Venegono (1955-1959). He was then ordained and asked to teach mathematics again, this time to the Comboni Brothers candidates at Pellegrina.

Bro. Carmine D’Aloia writes: “I met Fr. Gabriel long ago, in 1958, at the Comboni Agricultural School in Pellegrina. Anyone who passed through this school knows how hard it was to carry on with the activities. There was a lot of work to be done. There were thirteen candidates in my group, but by the end only three of us carried on. Fr. Gabriel used to support and encourage us, keeping us happy by telling jokes in class as well as at work. He told us that we had to have lots of patience and lots of faith, because missionary life would not always be like that: it was going to change. We were all about sixteen-years of age. He was making us understand that the cross we were bearing was a test for our vocation. Fr. Gabriel was a man of great humanity, patience and faith. I was very happy, many years later, to meet him again and to be working together in the same province of Brazil Nordeste. I can still see him smiling with patience and full of trust in the Lord.”

In 1960 he left for Brazil. At Balsas he occupied such posts as secretary to the bishop, administrator of the prelature, formator of the Brothers and rector of the seminary, not to mention his pastoral commitments.

Faithful to his religious practices, he was always available for celebrations such as those for various groups of students and those for the school-year-end. He loved to celebrate Mass for the sick and the elderly. He worked in the following missions: Alto Parnaíba, São Raimundo das Mangabeiras, Açailândia, Timon (São Antonio). He also spent a while in Portugal as formator in the house of Coimbra. Shy, intelligent, simple and witty, he spoke well and with great simplicity. The people were very fond of him.

He had an extraordinary memory and could recall the names of people he met years previously, even if he went to visit them rarely, as he was afraid of becoming too emotional in meeting old friends.

Always ready to obey, he never complained when he was transferred. He was skilled in many fields: manual tasks, building maintenance, cars, and electronics.

He was a happy person and liked to make others happy with his jokes and funny stories. He never lost his ability to teach and catechise which he had had since he was an adolescent among the Youth Catholic Action.

Brought up according to the customs of the Church and having experienced the struggle between Catholic Action and Fascism, he had a great love for the Church and wanted it to be perfect. He could not stand criticism of the hierarchy. He suffered a lot when he heard of a confrere who wished to leave the priesthood or the Institute. For him fidelity to accepted commitments was such a great responsibility that there was no room for weakness or giving up.

He was kind towards his confreres and did everything to make them welcome when they came to see him. Everyone enjoyed the meals which Gabriel prepared with great care.

He could not tolerate speaking behind a person’s back. He was always ready to calm tensions with one of his pithy phrases, like the time when an animated discussion took place on the theology of liberation: “I want to die a slave!” he said. It was like a cold shower and the discussion ended then and there!

He spent his final years at Timon (São Antonio) in the community of the postulants. One of them wrote: “Fr. Gabriel was an example of acceptance of and witness to the Kingdom. He was of great help to us postulants in understanding the radical call to the charism and mission of St. Daniel Comboni. Fr. Gabriel encouraged us with the missionary experience and wisdom of a great man.

We noted in him three talents. Firstly, he valued the community. As superior of the house of formation he was especially concerned that all should feel at ease. Community encounters, such as meals and special celebrations, were occasions of real joy and happiness.

Secondly, he loved personal and community prayer. He almost always led the community prayer and told us that love and zeal for prayer were the two pillars of his missionary vocation. Every morning, before it was time to go to the chapel, the light was on in his room and one could hear a quiet voice murmuring: it was Fr. Gabriel praying.

Thirdly, he trusted in the Lord. He made us enthusiastic with his deep love for and total trust in the Lord. Sometimes he would tell us interesting events of his life and personal experiences. For example, on his first visit to the communities of the rural areas of Balsas, alone, on horseback, exhausted by the heat, suffering from thirst, he began to think: ‘What am I doing here, far from my family and country? I felt like crying. At a certain point tears flowed down onto my lips and tongue. In that very moment I felt that the Lord was with me. This trust in his presence stayed with me all my life.’”

Recently Fr. Gabriel had moved to São Luís, in order not to be a burden to the community of Timon. At the hospital it was found that his liver was not functioning properly. He left for Verona hoping to have an operation and then return. He simply wanted to die in Brazil. We kept in contact with him by e-mail. On the morning of 9 July we were notified that his earthly journey had come to an end. In the communities where we celebrated Mass for him, many people wept as they remembered Fr. Gabriel, a very fine person, esteemed and much loved.

Fr. Alfonso Cigarini writes: “I was with Fr. Gabriel in Venegono during my theology in the years 1956 and 1957. Here in Brazil we had the opportunity to meet mainly during our assemblies and meetings of elderly confreres. I remember him as a confrere always kind and good humoured. I remember him as intelligent, full of trust in the Lord, faithful to his prayers, a good missionary committed to self-sacrifice, willing to face the hardships and privations that the missionary life constantly challenges us with, often in an unexpected way.

It had been nice to have lived with him who was always so happy to be the “faithful servant of Our Lord Jesus Christ”, as he used to call himself, paraphrasing his own name of Gabriel. That was how he always lived: he was a humble and happy confrere, a man of God and of the poor. The witness that Fr. Gabriel left us makes us understand that he gave himself without reserve to the Lord and to the mission, just like St. Daniel Comboni.
Da Mccj Bulletin n. 228 suppl. In Memoriam, ottobre 2005, pp. 57-62