In Pace Christi

Born on 3 December, 1924, at Roverbella, in the province of Mantova, after the novitiate in Verona and the theological studies in Venegono, Sante was ordained priest on 3 June, 1950. He spent his first years of ministry at Thiene where he assisted at the Rectory and in mission promotion. Later, he went to Rebbio where he was noted for the warm welcome he gave to elderly confreres. He also worked in mission promotion in Verona and, after about four years of ministry in Comboni communities, he was sent to Brasil.

The first stage of his new apostolate was at Nova Venécia, in the State of Espírito Santo. For a while he was Curate to Fr. Angelo dell’Oro, a dynamic man who founded and organised the parish of Nova Venécia, to which he imparted an extraordinary impetus. When Fr. Dell’Oro was sent to João Neiva and Fr. Vito Milesi had taken his place, Fr. Sante also moved to the town of Montanha where, with Fr. José Dalvit (later to become bishop of the diocese of São Mateus), they began to build the church of the new parish which had been cut off from that of Conceição da Barra. Building the church was not easy due to the extreme poverty of the area and the religious ignorance of the population, made up mostly of immigrants from the state of Bahía. The house of the two Comboni Missionaries was modest but suitable. The parish church was a simple country chapel. Fr. Dalvit and his curate, Fr. Sante, courageously started to build a multi-purpose hall. The strain of the apostolic work and poor food resulted in Fr. Sante suffering a serious attack of jaundice and he had to leave Montanha.

Later he had to go to São Paulo for surgery. Once he regained his health, he returned to Montanha where he was made parish priest, taking the place of Fr. Dalvit who was called to build the church of Santo Antonio in the area of Caxingui in São Paulo. He was then alone in the parish but later he received the company and help of Fr. Angelo Di Prisco and Bro. Adolfo Xillo, who had arrived from Italy some time previously with Bro. Pietro Ciapponi. In January, 1959, more help arrived at Montanha in the form of Fr. Celso Duca. Sometime later, when the Regional superior, Fr. Rino Carlesi, visited the Comboni community of Montanha, he was very impressed by the rapid growth of the town and the daily increase in buildings due to the great influx of people. As the city grew, so too did the social works – a hospital and a school – which used up all the economic resources of the missionaries.

About twenty years afterwards, Fr. Sante returned to Nova Venécia as parish priests and there he adapted to the new method of evangelisation proposed by the Second Vatican Council. From 1972 to 1977, Fr. Sante was parish priest and local superior of the community of Jeronimo Monteiro, in the south of the State of Espírito Santo, where the third Comboni seminary was built – after that of Ibiraçu, in the centre, and that of São Gabriel, in the north.

Recalled to Italy in 1978, he worked in mission promotion in Florence and was later spiritual assistant to the Comboni Secular Missionary Institute at Carraia (Lucca) from 1978 to 1984.

In 1984, he returned to Brasil and agreed to serve in the new parish of Agua Doce, in the north-east of the State of Espírito Santo, near the border with the state of Minas Gerais, and then at Conceição da Barra, in the north-east of the state near the mouth of the Rio Cricare.

After the renewal Course in Rome in 2000, Fr. Sante returned to Brasil where he took up duties in the parish of Guriri (São Mateus) and as superior of the Comboni community. When, due to old age, he began to weaken, he gave up his post as parish priest and placed himself at the service of the community.

Sister death came to meet him on the vigil of his 65^th anniversary of priestly ordination. We may well sum up Fr. Sante with these few words: a true missionary of Christ!
(Fr. Enzo Santangelo)
Da Mccj Bulletin n. 266 suppl. In Memoriam, gennaio 2016, pp. 59-63.