The Funeral of Giovanni Pelucchi in Brescia

Giovanni Battista Pelucchi, 89 years old, died serenely on October 24. To remember him with great emotions and gratitude remain his wife Liliana, the three children – Fr. Alberto, Comboni Missionary, Maurizio and Anna – with their families, together with the nephew Michele, very close to him, relatives and all his friends. The funeral took place on Saturday, October 27 in the Parish of the Good Shepherd on Viale Venezia, Brescia, starting from his home.

About thirty Comboni missionaries – the General Council and members of the Curia and of the community of Brescia, other confreres from neighboring communities and Fr. Martin James Devenish, Fr. Augustine Felix Paul Neri and Fr. Paul Annis – came to join the rites and concelebrated the Mass presided over by Fr. Alberto Pelucchi.

“The life of our father – said Fr. Albert in his homily – cannot be understood if not in the light of his faith in the God of Jesus and in the Gospel, with its values choices and horizons. Dad, just like many of his friends in the parish of St. Francis da Paola, was formed by great members of the clergy of Brescia, priests like Fr. Stefano Pebejani, Fr. Domenico Bondioli and Msgr. Poli. As he grew in the ranks of Catholic Action and next to the Comboni Institute and of St. Daniel Comboni, as a young man had known and received a lot also from several Comboni missionaries who came through the house next door. Among them he liked to remember two Comboni brothers, Bro. Giuseppe Zordan and Bro. Olindo Maria Norbiato with whom he had stayed in contact up to their death.”

Of the social and spiritual life of his father Fr. Alberto said: “Dad had also known and accepted the civic and social values of the Resistance and of the political and social reconstruction in the Christian tradition. He had also known and appreciated the spirituality of Fr. Zuaboni and of the “Pro Famiglia” that he had founded, becoming eventually an associate, together with his wife, as apostles of the family.”

Reading the history of his father Fr. Albert also mentioned the “sense of justice, the evangelical type, of honesty and authenticity lived in the work place as in all that was entrusted to him to be administered” and the sufferings that had accompanied him during the last few years. “Dad was afraid of physical suffering, but in these last few weeks of his illness he had learn to put up with it without complaining. But it was especially the suffering of the spirit that accompanied him in these last few years of his journey with God, a suffering that he had been able to hide from many. Starting with the death of his daughter Giusy, 14 years ago, and ending with the loss of that deep communion of life and of spirit that he had always had with his wife Liliana, due to our mother’s illness.”

At the end of the Eucharist, a representative of the parish community read the following statement: “We are here to say our goodbyes a friend, and at the same time we feel the need to thank him. Gratefully we thank him for his availability in helping anyone who went to him for advice or for help. He was truly at the service of the entire community: Aware of the reality of the “oratorio”, of the problems of the parish and financial councils, of the commitment of the Comboni Missionaries, particularly dedicated to his beautiful family and to individual people. Attentive, capable, patient, discreet, his silent presence was a point of reference for all.”
The last words were: “Thank you Battista and ‘arrivederci’.

After the Eucharist family and friends moved on to the cemetery of Brescia of St. Francis Da Paola, for the last prayers and interment and to conclude with the voice of the priest intoning “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,” to which everyone answered “And let perpetual light shine upon him.”