In Pace Christi

Fr. Giuseppe Simoni, known to all as Bepi, was born on 9 November 1947, at Cadidavid, the province of Verona. After primary school in his home town, he attended secondary school in Carraia (Lucca) where he happened to meet other young people attracted to missionary life.

He was brought up in a very united and devout Christian family that was sensitive to the missions of Africa. Bepi decided to become a Comboni missionary. He entered the novitiate in Florence in 1967 and, despite the post-Conciliar crisis that also questioned the Comboni novitiate, he succeeded in persevering to the end and, on 9 September 1969, he made his first religious profession. Even then, his novitiate companions appreciated his serenity, goodness and simplicity.

After the novitiate, he began his theological studies, first at Pesaro (1969-71), a period in which he attended the courses at the diocesan seminary of Fano and, at the same time, accompanied a group of young Comboni seminarians. He spent from 1971 to 1973 in Paris – a year at St. Sulpice and a year at the ISSR (Superior Institute of Religious Sciences). In order to concretise his studies, his superiors proposed he have a period of missionary experience in Zaire.

Bepi left for the mission of Rungu, in northern Zaire. Under the guidance of Fr. Adriano Danzi, he worked in the primary school, the diocesan minor seminary and in parish pastoral ministry. This experience proved positive and he asked to be ordained priest. He was ordained at the parish of Saint Anne, in Isiro, on 6 January 1975.

After his ordination, in response to the needs of his province, he returned to Italy to work in vocations and mission promotion at the Thiene community. Thanks to his missionary experience, Bepi succeeded in conscientizing many young people regarding the mission.

In 1980, he returned to Zaire. He already knew the local language and the environment and he was soon assigned to the seminary at Sacred Heart parish, Rungu.

Two years later, he was sent to Kisangani as formator of the postulants and in charge of the parish of Malkia wa Mashaidi. In his different posts, Bepi liked to step aside and share responsibility with others. He appreciated the work of his collaborators and trusted them.

Both in the community and in pastoral work he was a peacemaker, known for his serenity. He was also very much appreciated as a formator. “We spent two years together – writes Fr. Fermo Bernasconi – serving as formators at the diocesan seminary in Rungu. It was our hope to do something beautiful, even new, to help the young men in their growth and journey of discernment. Searching together and the difficulties we encountered helped us to share extensively: visions, outlook, joys and disappointments. With different backgrounds and the experience of different responsibilities, we were able to face each other, help one another and discuss things together: we did not always have the same vision or make the same choices but he was always willing to understand, explain, to go ahead, accepting proposals and decisions with which could not always in agree”.

As parish priest, his homilies were simple and incisive, full of examples and stories to which people listened with attention and pleasure, remembering them for a long time afterwards. Bepi was also a fine example of availability: every time he was asked to go to a new place, he obeyed without complaint.

After a considerable period of service in northern Congo, he was appointed formator at the Kisangani Postulancy, and then at the scholasticates of Paris, from July 1991 to June 1998, and then of Kinshasa, until 30 September 2000. He was afterwards made parish priest at St. Mbaga’s, in Kinshasa, until September 2007. After the parish was handed over to the diocese, he was asked to be the socius of the novice master at the Cotonou novitiate which he did from 2008 to 2014, and then at the Kimwenza novitiate until 2016.

After completing the Renewal Course, he was appointed to Italy where he was made superior of the Fr. Giuseppe Ambrosoli Centre for the sick and elderly confreres in Milan. Like many other people in the province of Milan, he was struck down by the Covid-19 and, on 21 March 2020 Bepi returned to the home of the Father.
(Fr. Léonard Ndjadi Njate, mccj)