In Pace Christi

Giuseppe Dalle Mulle was born at Fastro di Arsié, Belluno, on 12 February, 1935. He joined the Comboni Missionaries at Thiene to become a “Coadjutor Brother”, in the parlance of the time.

He was sent to Sunningdale, England, for his novitiate. He took his first vows on 9 September, 1955, and then went to Dawson Place, the London community where confreres stayed to study English or specialisations. He attended Paddington Technical College to study English and the City & Guilds of London Institute where he studied mechanics, especially vehicular mechanics.

In 1959, Bro. Bepi (as he was called) was appointed to Uganda where he stayed until his death, forty six years later. To these years of missionary service we must add a further six spent in the Kenya province. In Uganda he was first sent to Layibi to teach at the technical Institute and then, a year later, to Kalongo where the parish had a hospital with a maternity school and a kindergarten.

The following year he returned to Layibi. He took perpetual vows on 9 September, 1961, but left almost immediately for London where, as stated above, he studied mechanics (1962-1964) obtaining a licentiate in technical sciences which qualified him to teach both the practice and theory of mechanics and engineering.

Having returned to Layibi, devoted himself for twenty five years to teaching and professional training in the technical school opened in 1956. For seven years he was also the local superior.

In 1989, he was asked to join the Province of Kenya. He went to Gilgil where a Polytechnic had opened, run by Comboni Brothers. He taught there for three years.

He also went for a year to the parish of Moyale, on the border with Ethiopia and entrusted to the Comboni Missionaries in 1997. Situated among the Borana nomads, it belonged to the diocese of Marsabit, one of the largest and least populated areas of Kenya. After a year there he went to the parish of Lokori among the Turkana.

In 1995, Bro. Bepi was again assigned to Uganda and returned to Layibi as headmaster of the Technical School next to the Brothers Postulancy (Daniel Comboni Vocational Institute), again as superior. In those times there was much discussion on the role and formation of the Comboni Brothers. Bro. Bepi took an active part in the debate.

On 1 June, 2009, although in advanced age, he was placed in charge of maintenance at the hospital of Kalongo. The provincial thought he would be of great help to the people of the area who had suffered much in recent years.

There Bro. Bepi died on 16 April, 2011, at the age of seventy six years. Confreres and other persons from Kitgum, Gulu and Kalongo attended his funeral. All remembered him as a brother who was always smiling and one who loved peace, totally dedicated to his work and always available. During the ceremony a letter from his niece Luciana was read, concluding with these words: “I want my uncle to rest in peace in his beloved Uganda, a land that I, too, have come to know and love”.
Da Mccj Bulletin n. 249 suppl. In Memoriam, ottobre 2011, pp. 63-67.