In Pace Christi

Fr. Luigi Marini (04.07.1944 - 17.03.2007)
Fr. Luigi was born at Cellatica, Brescia, on 4 July 1944. In 1973 he entered the novitiate at Venegono until 1975, when he took his first temporary vows. He did his theological studies at Granada, in Spain, where he took his final vows in 1978 and was ordained the same year. He was immediately assigned to Peru, first in Lima, in the parish of the Twelve Apostles, and then at Arequipa, in the parish of the Holy Spirit. From 1991 to 1999 he worked in Italy at Casavatore (missionary animation and bursar) and at Gozzano (superior and then in ministry). He then went to Rome for the renewal course. Appointed to the delegation of Central America in 2000, he worked at the parish of San José (Costa Rica), and then went to Mexico (2003-2005). He then returned to Central America and worked in San Luis (Guatemala) and in San Salvador (Salvador), where he died suddenly on 17 March 2007.
“On 17 March Fr. Luigi left us, less than a month after being diagnosed with lung cancer of an especially pernicious type. He had arrived just a few months earlier at the community of Cuscatancingo, in El Salvador, where he had begun to work in missionary animation. He was making his first contacts with the people and exploring the new environment.
During the last delegation assembly we spoke together and he said he was happy, both in his community and in his work and was also willing to lend a hand with the parish ministry. He was already in contact with those responsible for missionary animation in the archdiocese and with some parish groups and gladly went to visit the schools.
On Friday, 9 March, when I went to see how he was, he welcomed me saying: ‘Listen to what happened to me between Masses’. It had happened a few days earlier when, after Mass, he felt extremely tired and barely managed to celebrate another Mass. In the past sometimes he was not well, but he had never felt so sick as now. Nevertheless he had carried on working. The hospital examinations revealed a very aggressive cancer for which there was no treatment. In the days following Fr. Luigi weakened and his health worsened. He was taken to hospital twice and passed away on 17 March 2007, at 4 pm.
After his death, many people wished to say their goodbyes and all the groups and parish communities kept vigil, day and night, to show him their affection and gratitude. Everyone, from the children and the youth of the schools to the mayor, attended his funeral to show their closeness to Fr. Luigi, to his brothers and nephews who were also present and to the Comboni Family who lived that moment with sorrow, but also with great hope. There was no lack of songs and music, prayers and tears, but the funeral was celebrated with great gratitude to God for the gift of Fr. Luigi and all the good he did in his missionary life.
His body was taken back to Italy for burial and interred at Cellatica (Brescia) on 31 March 2007. May he rest in peace.”
(P. Enrique Sánchez González)
Da Mccj Bulletin n. 236 suppl. In Memoriam, ottobre 2007, pp. 24-26.