“Farewell, Andean priest!”: A chronicle of Father Giuseppe Messetti's death in Peru

Immediately, some parishioners from Palca started the search, going to Ricrán, but to no avail, due to the onset of night. Therefore, they returned to Palca, the parish seat. That same night, both Father Tesfaye Tadesse and Father Fabio Baldan were told of Pepe’s disappearance, so that they could inform the family of the situation.

The following day, 30^th August, Father Alfonso and the chancellor of the diocese of Motha went to the police station to report Father José0s disappearance and officially begin the search. Meanwhile, news arrived that Father José’s vehicle had been found: it was parked at the foot of a peak he had climbed many times before. This time, however, he had chosen a different slope, climbing along a path that was new to him.

Once on the spot, the team of policemen, traffic police and people from the parish began the search by following the new path chosen by Father Pepe: a more difficult path, with precipices and steeper slopes.

Due to the altitude of the place – over 4,500 metres – the fog completely covered the area. So, evening came again, without getting any results. But hope of finding him, perhaps in poor condition but alive, had not yet abandoned us.

At dawn on 31th August, we resumed the search, soon arriving at the sad discovery of the lifeless body of Father Giuseppe Messetti. According to official reports, the body was found in the upper part of the Ricrán district, belonging to the province of Jauja, in the Peruvian Andes, about three hours’ walk from where he had left his vehicle, near a small village called Tambillo.

Father Pepe, who had arrived in Peru in 1984 and served as vicar of the parish of Santo Domingo of Guzmán in Palca, was found lying on a pile of stones, with his backpack used as a pillow. Apparently, he had slipped and fallen on stones, suffering cerebral oedema and chest trauma. It would seem that the fall did not immediately cause death, and the father had been immobilised on the cliff, at the edge of a lagoon. The cold of the night, at over 4,500 metres, and the humidity of the lagoon had caused lethal hypothermia. Death occurred on the night of 29^th-30^th August 2024.

The remains were taken to the hospital in Jauja for an autopsy, which revealed the cause of death. Meanwhile, Father Joseph’s nephew, who was in Peru as a volunteer of the Mato Grosso Project, arrived. He and Father Wilson dealt with all the legal aspects of the case. The body remained in the morgue until the following day, due to the lack of doctors, and on 1^st September, at around 10.00 am, the autopsy began, which led to the following report: “Cerebral oedema and closed thoracic trauma.”

Once the necessary procedures were completed, the body was prepared and placed in a coffin to be transported from Jauja to Palca, where a first mass was scheduled in the “Santo Domingo” parish of Guzmán. The church was filled with faithful who, with great emotion, expressed their affection and gratitude in a moving farewell. The mass was presided over by Mgr Timoteo Solórzano Rojas, Bishop of Motha, who had been close and attentive during the search and, when the body was found, wanted to be present on the spot before the body was taken to hospital. Mgr Pedro Bustamante, Bishop of Huánuco, where Father Pepe had previously worked, taking care of two parishes – Santa Cruz de Baños and San Pedro de Huánuco – also came. Also present at the celebration were a group of priests from Tarma and Huánuco and other Comboni missionaries. Mgr Timoteo delivered a long homily focusing on the painful fact of Father Joseph’s death, and concluded the ceremony by describing Father Joseph’s qualities: he was a pastor, a Comboni missionary, a simple man, smiling, generous, humble and attentive, and recalling that he had initiated a number of works to help the community, such as soup kitchens, care centres for the blind and physically disabled, installation of electricity generators and other projects, and “all this, living in simplicity and respect for his neediest brothers and sisters.”

After the mass, the coffin was taken to the parish hall to be watched over until midnight. This moment was animated by the parish community with prayers and songs at midnight, there was a farewell from the parishioners of Palca. Soon afterwards, the journey to Lima began.

On arrival at the provincial headquarters, there was a second moment of vigil in the large chapel of the house, which was filled with Comboni confreres, Comboni layLMCs, religious from different communities, friends, neighbours and faithful from the different parishes where Father Pepe taught, preached and accompanied, “breaking, blessing and distributing the Bread”. In attendance were friends from Cerro de Pasco, Baños-Lauricocha, Huánuco, Postulate of Lima and Palca-Tarma.

At noon, again in the provincial headquarters, we celebrated a moving Mass, presided over by Mgr Luis Barrera, Comboni missionary and Bishop of Callao, and concelebrated by Cardinal Pedro Barreto and a large number of Comboni priests. The presence of Father Pepe’s nephew, Giuseppe Abbagnale, along with a group of volunteers from the Mato Grosso Project, is worth mentioning.

After sharing lunch, at 2.30 p.m. the journey began through the city of Lima to the British Cemetery, where the Comboni missionaries have a plot for their deceased confreres. Here the funeral was celebrated.

Now our dear Father Pepe rests with 13 other confreres, including Father Graziano Mengalli, another Veronese. Both will remain in our land forever. And in our hearts, as well.
(Father Nelson Mitchell, mccj)