Brother Giosuè Dei Cas, “A Lamp Under the Bushel”

Comboni Brother Giosuè Dei Cas, a humble man, was born in a small town of the Valtellina, Italy.  He is a particularly attractive example of a missionary thanks to the sweet and affable style with which he lived a heroic Christian life. While tending to leper patients, he contracted the disease. From the leprosarium of Wau he continued to love and serve the Africans: “With the exception of leprosy, for the rest nothing bothers me too much…. Deo gratias I am well. Always better than many of my unfortunate neighbors,” writes Dei Cas in one of his letters.

Concerning the book “Brother Giosuè Dei Cas – The Letters,” Fr. Francesco Pierli tells us: “It is a systematic and scientific collection of the letters of Bro. Giosuè Dei Cas (1880-1932), an outstanding witness to the Gospel, a lamp which has remained way too long under the bushel. The Comboni family is deeply grateful to the Salesian Remo Bracchi, compatriot of Bro. Giosuè, who had the intuition first and then the courage to embark in the long and exacting task of transcription, translation (in the case of originals written in the local dialect) and critical reading of this particular collection of letters, adding to it an abundant number of notes. The Book is enriched by the valuable testimonials of people who knew and admired the Brother. Now the crystal clear and healthy water of the Stelvio is available to one and all. We can only hope that many will pick up a glass and drink of it!”

Attached, the cover of the book “Brother Giosuè Dei Cas – The Letters”, by Remo Bracchi, EMI, Bologna 2010, 444pp. Copies may be requested from Fr. Piergiorgio Prandina [archiviocentrale@comboni.org]. Price, € 10.00 plus mailing.