In Pace Christi

Father Ezio was born in Albiano (Trento) on 10^th April 1933. He did his novitiate in Florence and continued his studies in Verona and Venegono. After his priestly ordination on 14^th March 1959, he remained in Italy for two years and in 1961 he was assigned to Uganda, where he carried out his long missionary service until his return to Italy.

A letter from Father Ezio, written in April 2022 to the periodical Communion and Mission, of the Diocesan Missionary Center of Trento, helps us to briefly retrace his ‘Ugandan history’ and his youthful years.

“My dear friends, I am writing to send you some news regarding my long missionary life of 59 years already spent in this land of Uganda, a land of 24 martyrs. I am happy, indeed very happy to have imitated a little our holy founder, Daniel Comboni... for the evangelisation of our African loved ones: Jesus died and rose again for them too... Imitating a little the first apostles and Saint Paul in the first evangelisation of the world, after Pentecost, I was able to start two parishes and work in five other missions. I have baptised around 25,000 people including catechumens and children; blessed hundreds of married couples in their marriage; administered forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation to tens of thousands of Christians; I directed endless holy hours of adoration before the Eucharist...”.

In 2023, Father Ezio returned to Italy to have a medical checkup. Father Renzo Piazza remembers: “Like a good Comboni member, he wanted a quick checkup and then return to Uganda despite having reached the age of 90. But a few days in Brescia were enough to understand his condition.”

“He needed particular care and attention and, for this reason, he was diverted to the community of Castel d’Azzano, where he arrived on the morning of Friday, 6^th October. We met in his room to exchange a few words... He told me of a journey from Kampala to Kalongo in which he had lost control of the car, but which, after invoking the Madonna, had ended well. He added other episodes that occurred during the war, with the rebels who terrorised the population, sacked the mission, burned the cars, and took the children away by force... He also felt protected by the snakes, because in the midst of the tall grass, the cobras were sometimes hiding. ‘I have always been helped,’ was his comment. Father Ezio stayed in Castel d’Azzano for a short time, not even 24 hours. On the morning of Saturday 7 October, he was taken to the emergency room, where he remained for just over 24 hours. On Sunday morning a place was found in the ward and in the evening, after the party with the relatives, I was able to visit him. It was the second and last meeting I had with him. I was surprised by his serenity.”

He died on 10 October at the Borgo Roma hospital in Verona. A fatal attack of malaria had affected his already weakened cardiovascular situation. His funeral was celebrated on Thursday 12 October in the community of Castel d’Azzano. After the funeral, the remains were transferred to his hometown.