In Pace Christi

Fr. Antonio Zagotto passed away at the mission of Guriri, in the diocese of São Mateus, in Brasil. He would have been 89 on 16 June. The news soon reached Vestenanova where he was born in 1925, and where he is remembered by everyone with great affection as a good priest, always open to dialogue and with a big heart, able to welcome with exceptional tact all who went to him for a word of comfort and hope.

Ordained priest in Milan cathedral on 19 May, 1951, he would have liked to leave immediately for the mission but his superiors asked him to work in the Comboni seminaries training missionaries. He then spent 18 years in Italy, in Padova and Gozzano. In 1969 he was at last able to leave for the mission, even if it was not for the Africa of his dreams. Instead, he was appointed to Brazil where he worked from 1969 to 1987 at João Neiva, São José do Rio Preto, in the State of San Paolo, São Mateus, Pinheiro, Agua Doce, Ecoporanga and São Gabriel da Palha.

Returning to Italy in 1987, he was sent as superior to the Mother House of Verona and then to Bologna as vice-provincial. After some years, already in his seventies, he asked to go back to the mission. He returned to Brazil in 1995 and worked at São José do Rio Preto until 1999; he then returned to Italy and was assigned to the communities of Gozzano and Venegono. In 2003, he was again appointed to Brazil and spent six years at Nova Venécia.

Early in 2010, Fr. Antonio went to the Comboni House at Guriri, where there was a small community of elderly confreres and he put himself at the service of the Comboni parish, working at his usual feverish pace.

“Fr. Antonio was very well liked. In Brazil – says Fr. Pietro Settin – we lived together through the great changes in the wake of the Council. He lived and preached the Gospel in the most authentic way and was loved by the people for this. He decided to stay in the mission, knowing how to be a useful confrere and not a burden, despite his advanced years”.

His health problems did not prevent him, in fact, from carrying out a regular work of service in the parish right up to the last months of his life. Together with the other missionary veterans he heard confessions, celebrated Mass, and visited the elderly and the sick.

His situation deteriorated in March 2014. He had pain in different parts of his body; it was thought that the best solution was to keep him at home to rest while under the care of the doctors. It was not an easy matter as Fr. Antonio did not cooperate. Towards the end he was admitted to the public hospital of the city and spent two weeks in intensive care. The problem now was centred upon his heart with improvements alternating with relapses. The end came on the morning of 30 May, 2014.

That same morning, his remains were taken to the parish of Guriri. The funeral Mass was celebrated in the afternoon, presided over by Bishop Aldo Gerna, Bishop Emeritus of the diocese, in the presence of many priests and people. Immediately afterwards, the remains were taken to Nova Venécia. After a night-long vigil of prayer, at 8 am on the Saturday, Mass was celebrated at which the provincial, Fr. Alcides Costa, and the confreres from the three communities of the State of Espírito Santo were also present. After the funeral, he was buried in the Comboni cemetery of Nova Venécia.
Da Mccj Bulletin n. 262 suppl. In Memoriam, gennaio 2015, pp. 43-48.