In Pace Christi

Giuseppe was born on August 3, 1935, in Verona. He attended primary school at the local school and became a very faithful altar boy at morning mass. Even during the three years of middle school, he did not stop serving at the altar. He then enrolled at the ‘Anton Maria Lorgna’ State Commercial Technical Institute in Verona, where on July 16, 1954, he obtained a diploma in accounting and commerce and immediately found work in a bank not far from home.
In 1951, a new parish, Santa Maria Assunta, was founded, led by Don Bruno Trezza, who invited Giuseppe to become an animator of youth groups. The boy was enthusiastic and proved to be a great leader of young people, especially through the organisation of sports competitions (especially soccer).
He met various Comboni missionaries; one day, for the monthly meeting of the missionary group, Father Egidio Ramponi, the founder of the Secular Institute of the Comboni Missionaries, showed up. Giuseppe was fascinated and asked him to become his spiritual father.
On 15th May 1960, Giuseppe entered the novitiate in Gozzano (Novara). On 9th September 1962, he took temporary vows. On 9th September 1965, he made his perpetual religious profession and on 28th June 1966, he was ordained a priest. He asked to leave immediately for the mission but his superiors other plans: they assigned him to the Comboni Region of Milan, as a “vocations promoter” for the apostolic houses of Brescia, Barolo, Crema, and Rebbio.
In 1971, he was assigned to Uganda. In 1977, upon his return to Italy, he was sent to Pesaro, where the apostolic school had been closed, but a vocations animation centre had been created. Officially, he was a vocations animator, but he continued to call himself a “recruiter.”
In 1981, he was assigned to the province of Kenya. In September 1986, Father Giuseppe returned to Italy for a sabbatical year. He first went to the Verona Centre for the Sick at the Mother House, for medical examinations and tests.
At the beginning of July 1987, Father Giuseppe went to Katilu, the only mission that the Combonians have in Turkana, in the semi-desert northwest of Kenya. The new assignment involved a change of language: English and Kiswahili were no longer enough; it was necessary to learn the local language, Turkana, which is extremely difficult. Father Giuseppe was not upset: “To announce Jesus and speak of God’s love, you don’t need to be an expert in a language: simple sentences, a few words... and many deeds of love and charity are enough.”
In Katilu he suffered from numerous attacks of malaria. In mid-1988, it was particularly serious. He was taken to a hospital in Nairobi where he arrived in poor condition but, little by little, he recovered and returned to Katilu. He remained there until the end of June 1989 when he was sent to the new Catholic Youth Centre in Nairobi.
In 1990, he was assigned to the province of Italy. Father Giuseppe obeyed. After the conclusion of his sabbatical year in Rome, he went to the Comboni Missionary Animation Centre in Trento.
But his wish was to return to Africa and it was granted. Before leaving, however, his superiors to have a check-up since his health had already been put to the test during his previous services in Africa. Although his health was not perfect, in mid-July 1997 he went to Nairobi. Two days later he was assigned to the community of Rongai, in the diocese of Nakuru.
In 2016, he went to Italy on holiday after which he was “waiting for an appointment”, champing at the bit. For a while, he accepted a ministry service at the rectory of San Tomio in Verona.
For Father Giuseppe, there would be no more departures for Africa. In 2017 he retired to the Mother House, assigned to ministry in the parishes. In July 2018 he is at the Sick Assistance Centre in Brescia, undergoing treatment. On 1st March 2020 he was taken to the ‘Fratel Alfredo Fiorini’ Centre in Castel d’Azzano.
In November 2024, his health took a turn for the worse. He was taken to Borgo Roma Hospital, but the doctors could do nothing more than give him palliative care until the end which came on the 17th.
The funeral was held on Thursday, the 21st, at the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, Golosine. Then, his remains were accompanied to the central cemetery of the city. (Father Franco Moretti, mccj)