In Pace Christi

Fr. Giorgio Stefani was born at Montichiari di Brescia (Italy) on 12 May 1965. He is survived by his parents, his two sisters and two brothers. He was the youngest of the family.

Fr. Giorgio entered the Comboni seminary at the age of 14. In 1989 made his religious vows in Venegono (Varese) and completed his theological training in Chicago (USA).

Ordained priest on 11 September 1993, Fr. Giorgio went to South Africa soon after his ordination and served in the pastoral field in the parish of Mount Ayliff (Eastern Cape) for seven years. In June 2001 he was asked to take charge of the training of young candidates to the priesthood for the Comboni Missionaries, at the Study Centre in Wapadrand (Pretoria).

In January 2005 Fr. Giorgio was appointed as parish priest of St. Augustine’s in Silverton (Pretoria), where he still carried on his task as formator of the Comboni candidates, since the latter had also been transferred to Silverton. Fr. Giorgio committed himself with all his heart to his work for the community of the parish, caring for each person in a special way until his unexpected death.

The morning of 20 October 2005 Fr. Giorgio climbed on the roof of the house in an attempt to get rid of a nest of bees and was stung by them. He soon afterwards returned to the house without showing any particular reaction to the bees stings, but some time later he was heard calling out to Fr. Efrem Tresoldi to go and help him, saying that he was feeling very ill. Fr. Efrem rushed to his room where he found Fr. Giorgio lying on the floor and feeling completely exhausted. He immediately called an ambulance and Fr. Giorgio was taken to hospital where the doctor tried to revive him, but all to no avail.

Let us listen to some testimonies about Fr. Giorgio from people whose lives have been touched by him and by his committed missionary life.

Mgr. George Francis Daniel, Archbishop of Pretoria: “We all know Fr. Giorgio enough to feel confident that he was on the way to salvation, and that as he continues his journey on the distant shore, he will still be walking with the Risen Lord who accompanied his journey up till now, who opened up the Scriptures to him and made himself known through the Breaking of the Bread. Through his ordination Fr. Giorgio had a share in the prophetic Ministry of the One who said, ‘I am the Truth’. He exercised this ministry to great effect, so much so that people flocked to hear him preach. Through ordination Fr. Giorgio had a share in the pastoral ministry of the One who said ‘I am the Way’. This ministry he exercised especially in recent years through the formation of those who believe that they are called to live a life of consecration through the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus. Since the beginning of this year he was parish priest of St. Augustine’s in Silverton and much loved by the parishioners. Through his ordination, Fr. Giorgio also shared in the priestly ministry of the One who said, ‘I am the Life’. He was no stranger to suffering. He had come to realize that according to the Scriptures it was ordained that Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory. He had suffered physical disabilities which did not prevent him from being a good priest. In fact it enabled him to be just that. There was a double meaning in the words he recited daily, ‘This is my body which will be given up for you’. Those of you who viewed the face of our beloved Fr. Giorgio lying in the coffin must know that when we’ll see him again, after the resurrection, we will probably not recognize him immediately. Like his Lord, he will be transfigured. We thank Fr. Giorgio’s parents for the sacrifice they too did by offering one of their sons to God, and to the South African Church.”

Sister Jennifer Slater, dean of studies at the National Seminary St. John Vianney, Pretoria: “Fr. Giorgio was involved in many activities, he was also a colleague of the staff at St. John Vianney Seminary, he assisted in the Pastoral Department in the practical art of preaching, namely, homiletics, and he helped in the spiritual formation of students by providing spiritual direction, days of recollection, and, if we had our way, we would have had him as a full time formator to the students. Fr. Giorgio was a living example to the young priestly students of St. John Vianney Seminary in the sense that, despite his own physical vulnerability, he was a man of joyful commitment, always a smile on his face and the willingness to be of spiritual and pastoral assistance to anyone.”

Anthea van der Byl, parishioner of St. Augustine’s parish, Silverton, Pretoria: “Fr. Giorgio was parish priest of Silverton only for a very short time. He was with us for only ten months, and yet in that time the impact he had on the parish was very great. In the space of ten months he had become a much loved and very popular parish priest. Besides his unconventional preaching method, his popularity was also due to his humility as a man and a priest. We were truly blessed and privileged to have known a person like him. Fr. Giorgio, your death to us is a big loss, but it would have even been a bigger loss should we have never known you.”

Fr. Fabio Carlo Baldan: “I may add with gratitude that Fr. Giorgio has allowed himself to be led by Christ’s love, by Christ’s caring attitude to all. He always lived his life to the full, faced it with the enthusiasm with which he tackled everything. He did not measure out his life, but challenged it and offered it with a generosity and thoroughness that were specifically his. The experiences he went through and accepted in faith in the course of his life and of his mission, made him sensitive and caring about the needs of all those he met along the paths of life. With his words he would touch the heart of his listeners; with his friendship he would make himself close to those in need. Fr. Giorgio was a man of great ‘com-passion’, in the true meaning of the word: one who knew how to suffer with those who suffer, who knew how to make common cause with the poorest.”
Da Mccj Bulletin n. 230 suppl. In Memoriam, aprile 2006, pp. 35-41