In Pace Christi

Fr. Mario was born in Bergamo on 5 November 1932. On 8 October 1943, at the age of eleven, e applied to enter the Apostolic School of the African Missions in Crema. He did the novitiate at Gozzano where he took first vows in 1950. During the scholasticate, he spent a year at Rebbio, two years in Sunningdale and four years in Venegono where he took perpetual vows in 1956. On 15 June 1957, he was ordained priest in Milan by Cardinal Montini. He spent a year in Crema as vocations promoter and was then appointed to Spain.

When Fr. Mario arrived at the house of Corella as a teacher, it had been open for just two years but was already considered the best in the area: at the school of the “perillanes” (as the Combonis who came from Italy with their “pizzettos” were called) studies were taken seriously and, when the students did the public examinations, they always received the highest marks.

In 1960 the school became a minor seminary and in 1962, a wing of the building received the first Spanish novices who had been preparing for the final step at Moncada (Valencia). Fr. Mario gave his own precious contribution also as Novice Master and, when he was appointed to Mexico in 1964, he was sad to leave but did so with that spirit of obedience and availability he exercised all his life.

He worked at Sahuayo, for six years, first as formator and then as the local superior, after which he returned to Italy for the Renewal Course.

In 1971, having been away for seven years, he was again appointed to the Corella seminary, both as a teacher and as the superior of the community. He was still well remembered and everyone, including the seminarians, teachers, confreres and the Comboni Sisters, were happy to welcome him back. In those days the seminary had a “quasi parish church”, frequented by many young people and associations. Fr. Mario was acting provincial secretary and had much travelling to do between the various communities of the Province. As a result, his teaching duties diminished. During his final two years in Spain, he was also the vocations promoter and in charge of formation in the Province. Even after he left, Fr. Mario was still very much attached to the Province and often visited it, especially for important occasions and anniversaries such as – an especially meaningful occasion for him – the sixtieth anniversary of the foundation of Corella, when he greatly surprised everyone by the number of names, dates and details he still remembered!

In the early eighties, a Treasurer General had to be found and the task of doing so was entrusted to Fr. Alois Eder who was then working in the general Curia: “It seemed to me that Fr. Locatelli was the most suitable candidate. I was asked to get in touch with him. There was no need for much discussion as he immediately and willingly accepted our proposal. It turned out to be a wise choice: Fr. Mario immediately got down to work. The general Council had complete confidence in him and his work. He was a most faithful collaborator and counsellor, always respectful, considerate, well informed, efficient and very dedicated. It was a real shock to us when, in 1983, he showed the first symptoms of heart disease. He was admitted to St John's Hospital, Rome.”

Before the General Chapter on 1985, Fr. Locatelli, in a letter to the Superior General, Fr. Salvatore Calvia and his Council, wrote: “I was very much looking forward to being present at the Chapter opening; even if I cannot do so physically, from my place here in hospital I shall be united with you by offering my prayers with the sacrifice the Lord has asked of me… The worsening of my heart condition is beyond doubt. I have already been told to limit my activities and not to undertake long journeys. In this state of affairs, even though I may count on my confreres, especially Bro. Mores and Fr. Ghirotto, for their most valued cooperation, in all conscience I do not think I should continue in the office entrusted to me as I could do so 'only in name' and this would create considerable problems for the Congregation in a very important area of its life and work. For the above reasons I hereby present my resignation from the office of Treasurer General… within a few days I will present the names of some confreres I consider qualified and suitable to be given this responsibility.”

The new Superior general, Fr. Francesco Pierli, on the day after his election visited Fr. Locatelli. His illness was a severe blow to the General Council and his resignation was at first refused, not only because of the difficulty in finding a competent person to succeed him but also because his work was considered “excellent”. Nevertheless, Fr. Mario soon had a heart transplant and Fr. Pierli, consenting to the request of the Provincial, wrote a letter on 2 June 1987, appointing him to the Italian Province. He thanked him for his work, carried out “with great technical competence and animating energy.”

During the following thirty years, Fr. Locatelli lived in various communities: first in Bologna and then in Verona and Cordenons, working in ministry and as Local Superior, in Verona, at the Mother House, also as assistant bursar and in missionary animation. In 2010 he was appointed technical counsellor for the revision of the accounts of the General Economate, up to 2016.

In 2011 he was assigned to the CAA community in Verona where he assisted Bro. Bozza in administration and provided spiritual assistance to the confreres. He was under care in Milan from 2014 up to his death which took place there on 19 December, 2017.
Da Mccj Bulletin n. 274 suppl. In Memoriam, gennaio 2018, pp. 166-172.