In Pace Christi

Fr. Giuseppe Valente was born at Castelgoffredo, diocese of Mantova, on 27 September 1930. He took his temporary vows on 9 September 1950 and was ordained a priest on 15 June 1957. He was a novice in England and a scholastic in Venegono. His first mission field was the Sudan, where he served in the seminary of Bussere from 1959 to 1964, the year when he was expelled together with many other missionaries. From 1964 to 1970 he was assigned to the NAP as novice master and then he moved to England where from 1971 to 1974 he held the same position. His serene, kind and pa-tient demeanour was quickly seen as a very important quality for a formator.
In 1975 he was assigned to Uganda where he did pastoral work among the Alur for some years. He also spent a few years as a formator with the Apostles of Jesus in Moroto. He spent the rest of his life in the formation of Comboni candidates in Jinja and Namugongo. There is where he re-mained until death came suddenly in the early hours of the night of 31 July 2004.
Fr. Giuseppe was a quiet and serene person, but could speak his mind when necessary. He was very organized as it is evidenced even by his tidy and neat handwriting and by the order that reigned in his room. He loved nature and took great interest in the novitiate’s garden. Fr. Monella Pierpaolo shares: “He greatly loved nature, plants and flowers in particular, and enjoyed enriching his com-munity with new species. He considered a tragedy hearing or seeing that a tree had been felled. Probably it was not a mere coincidence that the cross he usually wore was a “tau,” a symbol that brought him closer to St. Francis of Assisi.” He was buried in the novitiate’s garden that he had loved so much, in the shade of some trees he had planted.
Fr. Giuseppe loved Mission. After his experience as novice master in the United States and Eng-land, he was overjoyed to return to Africa and be available for missionary service.
Fr. Pierpaolo points out the commitment of Fr. Giuseppe in the apostolate among street children. “During the last 11 years as formator in the novitiate of Namugongo, his pastoral commitment was directed mainly towards rescuing street children and street youth. In this field he soon became an important figure in the city of Kampala.”
The news of Fr. Giuseppe’s sudden death moved many people who knew him and appreciated him, among them the street children, the students of the grade and high schools and the various houses of formation around Namugongo. The night before the funeral the basilica of the Martyrs of Namugongo was packed with students praying. The novices and formators of the Comboni Sisters held an all night vigil by the coffin. The funeral of Fr. Giuseppe took place in the basilica. The Nuncio was the main celebrant, sided by the Cardinal Archbishop of Kampala and many priests. Many Apostles of Jesus, where he had been a formator, also attended. The many testimonials that were read at the end of the Mass highlighted the availability, dedication, spirit of solidarity and simplicity of Fr. Giuseppe’s life. He must have been ready for his final encounter with the Lord. There was no panic, no noise and not too many words about his health. He was a very private per-son. Once again, in the case of Fr. Giuseppe it held true that “we die as we live.”
Fr. Guido Oliana
Da Mccj Bulletin n. 226 suppl. In Memoriam, aprile 2005, pp. 5-17.