In Pace Christi

Armando was born in Rucavà di Colle Santa Lucia, in the province of Belluno, on 18^th March 1940. He was the first of six children; the fourth child was Sisto, born in 1946, who would follow in Armando’s footsteps, becoming a Comboni missionary.

Armando attended primary school in his hometown. In October 1952, he joined the Comboni Minor Seminary in Padua for his high school studies, which he concluded in June 1960.

In September of the same year, he was sent to Monroe, Michigan (USA), for the novitiate and the first philosophy courses. On 15^th August 1962, he took his first religious vows and moved to the scholasticate in San Diego, California, for the first two years of theology. In 1964, he returned to Italy, to the Mother House in Verona, for the third and fourth theology courses.

On 9^th September 1965, he made his perpetual religious profession. On 26^th June, he was ordained a priest in the parish of Colle Santa Lucia, by the bishop of Belluno-Feltre, Msgr. Gioacchino Muccin.

Father Armando was immediately assigned to Uganda. In August 1966, he was assigned to the mission of Moyo, in the then ‘Arua Region’, as assistant parish priest and teacher in the Senior School. On 11^th December 1969, he returned to Italy for three months of holidays, promising the principal of the Senior School that he would return for the start of the second term. But Father Armando was tired and worn out and needed a lot of rest. He was eager to return as he promised the principal, but his health and other small problems that are not fully clarified recommended waiting. Finally, in mid-December of the following year, he was back in Uganda, in Lira, at the cathedral, as chaplain of the high schools of the diocese.

Six months later, however, he had to return to Italy again due to health problems. He accepted the humble position of doorkeeper at the General House in Rome. He remained there until July 1971, when he returned to Uganda, assigned to the parish of Adjumani, in the diocese of Arua. Shortly after, he returned to Moyo, to his beloved Senior School.

When he spoke in public, Father Armando was always very frank, to the point of being critical of governments. Thus, in October 1976, he was expelled from Uganda for having “used offensive tones towards the nation”. Father Tarcisio Agostoni expresses his solidarity and the certainty of his innocence. Meanwhile, Father Tonino Pasolini, provincial superior of Italy, had already contacted Father Armando about the possibility of staying in Italy for a period, obtaining his consent.

From January 1977, Father Armando lived in the community of Pesaro, in charge of missionary animation. After a few months, he moved to Verona, to the Mother House, as administrator of the magazines.

In July 1980 he was appointed to Malawi. He left, full of enthusiasm, for the new mission. He settled in Lirangwe, the headquarters of the delegation, to study the language. Shortly afterwards, he suffered a severe attack of malaria and had to return to Italy.

He then took part in the renewal course in Rome, at the Curia. He wrote a letter to Father Calvia: “I am sorry that you were upset that I returned from Malawi so soon. Aside from the terrible malaria I got, I could not learn Chichewa, and English was practically useless. And then a somewhat anomalous situation arose again, with clear symptoms of nervous breakdown. I have already had two, and I do not want to have another... I would immediately return to the Madi of Uganda, to Moyo... if the superiors and the government of Uganda wanted me, but I doubt it... Please, tell me where I should go, and I will go there.” Father Armando was assigned to the General Curia for work in the General Secretariat. He immediately went to Rome and threw himself into his new role with enthusiasm.

He carried out this service until June 1987, when he was sent to Malawi again. He went there immediately, but it was another painful disap-pointment. In 1988, he returned to Italy, assigned to the Pordenone retirement home, as bursar of the community. He remained there until 1996 when the Pordenone community moved to nearby Cordenons, responsible for ministry and missionary animation.

In July 2006 he was assigned to the community of Trento, as bursar and ministry assistant in the rectory. He was now certain that he would never again be assigned to a mission outside Italy. In 2017, he ‘retired’ to the Mother House in Verona.

Towards the end of February 2024, he had to be hospitalised. A few days later, he was discharged and taken to the ‘Fratel Alfredo Fiorini’ Centre in Castel d’Azzano. He spent the last two weeks of his life there. On the evening of 12^th March, Father Armando died. His funeral was celebrated on the 15th. Once the ceremony was over, the body was taken to the city’s monumental cemetery, where many Comboni missionaries rest. (Father Franco Moretti, mccj)