In Pace Christi

Born on 3^rd January 1928, in Cepões (Viseu), he had a long life and returned to the Father's house after living for more than 96 years, dedicated to vocation and mission.

Brother António was the first Portuguese Comboni missionary. He was born in a small village a few kilometres from Viseu. Like all young people of the time, he attended the first three years of elementary school in his hometown and completed the last two only several years later in Oeiras, in 1960-1961. Ever since his childhood, he helped his parents with the work in the fields.

At the end of his military service (1949-1950), by chance, he met Father Angelo La Salandra, then a vocations promoter, who, looking at him during the recitation of the rosary, asked him point-blank: “Would you like to be a missionary?” António replied: “But at my age, and without having studied, can I be a missionary?” Without getting upset, Father Angelo replied that it was a little late to become a priest, but that he could become a missionary brother: “In the missions we need fathers and brothers to make possible the coming of the Kingdom of God.” These words of Father Angelo continued to hammer in António's head until, in February 1952, he began his vocational journey. After a brief period of postulancy, he left for the novitiate of Gozzano, in Italy, where he made his first religious profession on 9^th September 1954. When he returned to Portugal, he was assigned to the community of Viseu, where he remained until 1960 as bursar and manager of the farm. In September 1954, he also entered the seminary of Viseu, still under construction, but already capable of hosting almost a hundred seminarians. In the five years I spent in Viseu (1954-1959), although the seminarians had more contact with the prefects, the vice-rector and the rector, I remember well the figure of Brother António, with his venerable beard, always busy with agricultural work, pruning trees, harvesting grapes and making wine, or busy taking care of the animals in the chicken coops and pens. This was the field in which Brother António, throughout his life, became increasingly expert.

In 1962 he was assigned to the diocese of Nampula in Mozambique where he remained until 1969. After a few months spent in Portugal, he returned in 1970 to Mozambique where he remained for six years, assigned to various missions, always committed, with great dedication, to humble jobs but with the concern of preparing his collaborators so that they were able to support their families and manage their businesses. In 1976 he returned to Portugal, assigned to the community of Santarém, where the novitiate was located. The master of novices was Father Carmelo Casile who sent me his testimony which characterises the figure of Brother António very well. Father Carmelo describes him as a man of prayer, faithful to his vocation, serious in facing life, altruistic, more concerned with others than with himself and a great worker: “a community person, humble and authentic, who knew how to communicate the values of missionary life with fidelity to his duty and the care with which he did everything.” The years during which I was Provincial Superior (1978-1984) coincided with Brother António's stay in the novitiate. When the time came to evaluate the novices for admission to first vows, I met with the novice master, his socius [assistant to the father master, ed.] and the community. I remember that I gave a lot of weight to Brother Antonio's judgment, and when he was asked his opinion, he responded with simplicity and humility, usually after a short pause for reflection. Sometimes he expressed a negative opinion, but he was almost always right: his judgment was based on authenticity, joy and enthusiasm for the missionary vocation, love and attachment to the community and its goods, all these values ??that he was able to discern in daily life with the novices and were sometimes not perceived by the two formators.

After the years spent in Portugal, two long stays opened up for Brother António in Brazil (1984-1993 and 1997-2009), always in the parish of Pastos Bons, in the diocese of Balsas, where he earned the deep admiration and esteem of the people.

In 2009, at 85 years of age, he agreed to return to Portugal and spent the last years of his life in the community of Viseu, where, despite his advanced age, he continued to work to provide the community with the vegetables he grew on our land. To make him happy, a small greenhouse was built where, even in winter, some vegetables could be grown to put on the table.

As time went by, his strength began to abandon him, and the last years were quite painful for him. He was hospitalised several times. The last hospitalisation in the hospital of Viseu took place in the last week of July 2024. He died there on the night of 29^th July. His body was taken to the chapel of our community.

The next day, at 11:00, the Eucharistic celebration was held, presided over by the bishop of the diocese, Monsignor António Luciano in the presence of numerous missionaries from our communities, brothers on vacation from the mission, relatives of Brother António, and many faithful.

In the afternoon, the funeral was held in Cepões, his hometown, where he was buried. (Father Manuel Ferreira Horta, mccj)