In Pace Christi

Piergiorgio was born on 3^rd September 1940 in Torrebelvicino, province and diocese of Vicenza, the third of ten children (six boys and four girls) of a deeply Christian family.

The Comboni adventure of the Prandina family began in the summer of 1954 when a zealous missionary from the town organised a spiritual retreat held by Father Giovanni Vedovato, mccj. Piergiorgio, who had finished seventh grade, told his parents that he would like to go. Their ‘yes’ was immediate. His little brother Cornelio (the seventh of ten children) did not want to be outdone. At the end of the two weeks, the missionary presents the children with a piece of paper on which there is a simple question: “Would you like to become a missionary?”. Both Piergiorgio and Cornelio wrote: “Yes!”

During the summer of that year, the two did the ‘trial month’. Two months later, they both entered the Apostolic School that the Comboni Missionaries had in Padua.

On 1^st October 1960, Piergiorgio was in Gozzano for the two years of novitiate, which he crowned with temporary vows on 9^th September 1962. For his theology studies, he moved to Verona, to the Mother House, where he made his final profession on 9^th September 1965. On 26^th June 1966, he was ordained a priest in the chapel of the Mother House by Msgr. Diego Parodi, mccj, then auxiliary bishop of Perugia.

The major superiors called Father Piergiorgio to Rome for a specialisation at the Pontifical Salesian University. Three years later, he obtained a licentiate in philosophy and pedagogy, ‘magna cum laude’.

Destined for the Ugandan missions, in July 1969 he went to London to learn English. Within a year, he received the Certificate of Proficiency in English and flew to Kampala. Two weeks later, he was already in Gulu mission studying Acholi, the local language, Acholi. A few months later – in July 1970 – he was in Patongo as assistant parish priest. In June 1973 he returned to Gulu, as director of the Training Center for Catechists. Here Father Piergiorgio gave his very best.

While in Italy on holiday in the spring of 1975, the president of Uganda, Idi Amin Dada – who, since taking power in a coup in 1971, had done nothing but make life difficult for the Christian missionaries present in the country – decreed the expulsion of sixteen Comboni Missionaries. Among the names on the list was that of Piergiorgio. It was a terrible blow for him: the unfortunate conclusion of his first missionary experience was experienced by him as “a terrible failure”. But he has something he’s proud of. He would write it many years later, in June 2016, on the occasion of his 50^th year of ordination: “The only consolation I brought with me was my catechism, Wun aye lwakka (‘You are my people’) which I had written in Acholi for the diocese of Gulu. Today, after 40 years, they tell me it is still in use.”

Meanwhile, the superior general, Father Tarcisio Agostoni, assigned him to the International Scholasticate of Rome and, in September 1975, Father Piergiorgio began his new service as a formator of scholastics. Father Manuel João Pereira Correia remembers him: “I have held Father Prandina in great esteem since he was my formator in Rome in the years 1975-1977. His liveliness and concreteness, his frankness and spontaneity, his perspicacity and critical spirit, his sociability and humour, with a joke for every occasion, encouraged us students.” On 1^st July 1977, Father Piergiorgio was appointed General Secretary of Vocational Promotion and Training. He would hold this position for eight years.

In March 1988, he was assigned to the CIF in Nairobi (Kenya) as a formator. He arrived there in a difficult moment, with morale at an all-time low; he himself recognised that “My headaches, my heartburn, my insomnia… all come from the soul”. In October he left Nairobi and returned to Italy. He was assigned to Uganda but did not feel ready to take this step, and asked to be able to go to London, where there is a Missionary of Africa who is an excellent psychologist, considered very competent by various religious institutes. A few weeks later, he wrote to Father Francesco: “I put myself in his hands, with the clear intention of letting myself be vivisected. No spiritual or priestly crisis, according to him. The evil to be cured is deeper, at the roots of the personality.” Father Piergiorgio also undergoes clinical tests and is diagnosed with ‘chronic fatigue’. At the end of December 1991, he felt much better and returned to Rome, assigned to the Curia where, for a year, he was general archivist ad interim. In September 1992, the premature death of his brother Cornelio affected him deeply.

On 1^st January 1993, he was assigned to the province of Italy. His organisational ability and meticulousness, on the one hand, and his somewhat poor health on the other, convinced the provincial of Italy to appoint him provincial secretary. Among other things, in 1994 he edited the publication of his brother Cornelio’s letters – Carissimi – published by EMI.

He had, however, to wait until June 2005 before receiving a new assignment: the General Council asked him to serve in the Curia. On 3^rd February 2006, Father Piergiorgio went to Rome as an assistant in the general secretariat. A year later, he was given the position of general archivist, a post he held until May 2021.

Father Manuel João recalls: “Whatever work was asked of him, you could be sure that he would carry it out quickly and perfectly. Piergiorgio, however, did not limit himself to office work but gave his time and energy unsparingly to pastoral service in our Curia chapel. He presided over the Sunday Eucharist at 11.00, which was always well attended. He carefully prepared the homily, which was always much appreciated, also because, in addition to being brilliantly presented and always embellished with some short story, it never lasted more than 9/10 minutes. After the celebration, he would stay to have coffee and chat a bit with the faithful closest to us. In addition, he took turns celebrating the weekly Eucharist scheduled for the people of the neighbourhood, at 6.30 pm, and he always did it with creativity.”

On the night between 22^nd and 23^rd December 2022, Father Piergiorgio had an acute myocardial infarction. He was immediately taken to hospital. “It’s impossible to operate on him: he’s too weak,” the cardiologist said. We can only wait and hope. After a few days, he returned to the community, but, after a day and a half, he was returned to the intensive care unit, where he contracted Covid-19. In the second half of January, he returns to the community. He was very weak. He seemed to recover a little, but it was only an illusion. He tried hard to move around the big house again. In February, on Sunday mornings, he was brought in a wheelchair to the reception hall, ready to welcome the faithful coming to Mass and wanting confession. He had been doing this for years, and he wanted to continue doing it. Many people would come and embrace him.

In April 2023, it was necessary to transfer him to the ‘Fratel Alfredo Fiorini’ Centre in Castel d’Azzano, where he could receive the care he needed. His family visited him every week. But Father Piergiorgio saw his departure from Rome and the loss of the role he had held until shortly before as a sign the end was approaching. Everyone hoped that he could resume an almost normal rhythm of life, but the pain and discomfort of his illness, physical tiredness and the sense of uselessness deprived him of any possible reaction.

On 31^st March 2024, a sudden cardiac arrest ends his earthly existence. It was the dawn of Easter Sunday. The funeral was celebrated on 3^rd April in the Centre’s chapel. Then the remains were taken to Torrebelvicino, for a funeral ceremony in the parish church, followed by burial in the local cemetery. (Father Franco Moretti, mccj)