In Pace Christi

Bro. Nevio Calligaro was born at Urbignacco, a fraction of the commune of Buja in Udine province, on 8 January, 1925, into a modest family of small farmers with profound faith. He was the third of six children (four boys and two girls) and was a lively and happy character.

At the age of fifteen he decided to enter the Comboni postulancy at Thiene, in Vicenza, but had to return home for health reasons after the outbreak of the war. After the war he again went to Thiene, did his novitiate at Florence and took temporary vows on 9 September, 1952.

On the same date in 1958 he took his perpetual vows at Helouan. He was then sent to Aswan, also in Egypt, in charge of the house, up to the middle of 1960 when he returned to Italy. He stayed there in the community of Gozzano (Novara), keeping himself busy around the house.

In 1963, he went to Milan as cook in the community of Via Saldini.

On 1 July, 1964, he left for the mission of Lomè, the capital of Togo where he worked as an electrician, shoemaker, builder, mechanic, gardener and driver. During his holidays in Italy he would procure the necessary material to repair footwear and make new shoes in the mission. Apart from serving the house in every way possible, he tried to teach something of his skills to the youth, to whom he was giving Gospel witness by his way of life.

After four years he returned to Italy and was sent to the General Curia as treasurer and, as always, he carried out the work entrusted to him with great commitment, enthusiasm and serenity, even though he was greatly homesick for the missions.

It was not until eight years later, in the summer of 1976 that he could again leave for Africa and the mission of Rungu, in the north-eastern part of the Congo, not far from the border with Uganda.

After some time he moved to the parish of Nangazizi, in the same region, only to leave again for the parish of Sant’Anna at Isiro where his younger brother Tarcisio, also a Comboni missionary, was working. In Congo he learned to rewind electric motors with great patience and skill and took care of the electrical installation of the parish church of Isiro.

During his last five years at Isiro, he began to suffer from dizziness. One morning, getting up, he fell to the floor and suffered injuries. He went to Italy for treatment but found he was no better when he returned to Isiro. Consequently, in 2002, he had to return for good to the Ambrosoli Centre in Milan, Italy. After a period when he improved, Bro. Nevio’s health gradually worsened. In early January, 2012, on his birthday, he was admitted to hospital with a broken hip and soon after began to suffer from serious breathing problems. After a month in hospital he returned to the Ambrosoli Centre where, on 21 February, 2012, he peacefully entered the eternal life of heaven surrounded by the love and prayers of the confreres.