In Pace Christi

He was born on 10 February, 1924, at Santa Maria di Sala, Venice province, in the diocese of Padua. In 1937 he entered the Comboni apostolic school at Padua, spent some time at Brescia and joined the Venegono novitiate on 9 September, 1945. There he took his first vows exactly two years later. From 1948 to 1952, he studied theology at Venegono. He took his final vows on 4 February, 1953 and was ordained priest on 4 April of the same year.

In October he left for Khartoum and in November for El Obeid. In those days, missionary orientation took place on the spot, by working. He arrived in Sudan without knowing either English or Arabic. Without delay he set to work studying both and he learned Arabic very well.

For seventeen years he worked in the diocese of El Obeid (it was not yet a diocese then), exercising his ministry at Kadugli (Nuba Mountains) and El Fasher (Dar Fur). It was the era of the pioneers. There were no large Christian communities like those which later came into being with the influx of immigrants from the South. A community of the Greek Catholic rite had been established at El Fasher for some time. Its people were mostly Syrian businessmen. Fr. Giuseppe Orwalder used to speak of it in his time. In 1938 the community built a brick church, the only one in all Darfur.

In 1954 the parish changed to the Latin rite and a Comboni Missionary took the place of the Syrian Greek catholic priest. El Fasher was the only catholic church in Darfur until Nyala was opened in 1961. Fr. Lorenzo was one of the first to live there on a permanent basis. The Christian community was composed of a few families from the Middle East and there was not much pastoral work to do.

The confrere working there would usually live alone and this affected his personality. Fr. Lorenzo was no exception to this which may explain certain aspects of his personality which remained with him all his life. He paid much attention to detail, not only in the liturgy but also in many small matters such as growing flowers and rearing rabbits and chickens.

Fr. Giancarlo Ramanzini wrote of him: “Even if he was naturally something of a loner, I do think that living alone for many years at Nyala, El Fasher, En Nahud and Kadugli did not come easy to Fr. Lorenzo as it involved long periods of isolated life. On the other hand, I think his staying in those places was providential. In fact, it was he who started and gave continuity to a Comboni presence which was later to turn out very well. He opened the door to such missionaries as Fr. Silvano Gottardi, Fr. Alberto Modonesi, and Fr. Davide Ferraboschi etc. If a Christian community exists in those places, it is only because of the tenacity of Fr. Lorenzo”.

In 1970 he went to Khartoum where he found a very different situation. The people were coming from the South in ever increasing numbers and the missionaries became their point of reference in an unknown and often hostile environment.

The Church employed all its resources to cope with the situation. Welcoming centres were set up and prayer centres were opened all along the outskirts of the city where the refugees had set up camp as best they could. The confreres Fr. Mario Castagnetti and Fr. Igino Benini, who had worked in Sudan were deeply involved in this ministry of welcome and support. Many confreres left their teaching to dedicate themselves permanently to this apostolate. Nine years after making the application, the government granted permission to open a new church, the first after Omdurman and the cathedral. So it was that the parish of Saints Peter and Paul was opened in 1970.

Fr. Benini became the parish priest even before the building (carried out by Bro. Angelo Crivello and Fr. B. Agostino Galli) was complete. It was a very busy parish. Fr. Benini would work ever further from the centre, opening other centres and catechumenates. The work increased day by day but there were still only two priests, helped by some Comboni Sisters.

When it seemed that they had made a breakthrough, Fr. Benini had to go and open another parish and Fr. Lorenzo, was made parish priest of the cathedral for a few years. When the Canadian overseas missionaries came Fr. Lorenzo was very glad to go and be curate at the parish of Khartoum North. Here, with his diplomacy and patience, he managed to build a chapel within the prison of Kobar. He also opened a catechumenate there and began the custom of celebrating Mass there every Sunday.

He passed his last Sudan years at El Obeid. He helped in ministry and saw to the running of the house, such as shopping, gardening and the chickens. His aches and pains worsened and he was often sick. He would then go to bed for several days. It was then that the superiors decided that he return to Italy. So it was that in 2001, after 48 years of missionary work in Sudan, he surrendered. Arco became his new community until a fall required him to move to Verona.

He was a faithful and committed missionary. He was ready to serve wherever obedience sent him and easily adapted to the situation he found. He felt he was a missionary when in the desert of Darfur just as much as in Khartoum cathedral, and he rendered his service with simplicity and acceptance. His good knowledge of Arabic greatly helped him to establish good relations with the people.

Mgr. Antonio Menegazzo wrote: “Fr. Lorenzo spent 50 years in North Sudan, a land which gives very little pastoral satisfaction, especially during the first years of missionary experience. He was always ready to move from one parish to another, according to the needs and at the request of his superiors: Kadugli while it was under construction, El Fasher, again Kadugli, Khartoum Cathedral and Khartoum North. He always worked in the pastoral field. He loved gardening and horticulture and always left his mark wherever he worked. He did not enjoy good health with continual stomach problems but never burdened others because of this. He had a good memory and enjoyed reminding the confreres of events, meetings and things which happened many years before. He easily made friends and never forgot his friends even after many years. He had a great love for Sudan and he hoped to go back there even though his bad health indicated little hope of this. It is now up to us to pray for his eternal rest that the Lord may reward as he deserves. It is also up to him to intercede with the good Lord for peace and prosperity in Sudan”.

Mgr. Camillo Ballin: “Fr. Lorenzo was good, he was uncomplicated and knew how to receive people with human warmth. His humility and simplicity made him welcome in community and one could get along well with him. He had no special ambition, nor did he aspire to any exalted position. He lived his missionary life by the humble and total giving of himself. May the Lord receive him among his saints”.
(Fr. Salvatore Pacifico)
Da Mccj Bulletin n. 241 suppl. In Memoriam, luglio 2009, pp. 24-29.