In Pace Christi

Fr. Mario Franco was born at Porto di Legnago (Verona) on 3 March 1921. He entered the novitiate at Venegono where he took his temporary vows on 7 October 1939. He began his scholasticate at Verona, but then went to Rebbio (Como) where the scholasticate had to be transferred because of the war. Ordained priest on 29 June 1945, he continued to work at Rebbio in charge of welcoming the elderly confreres. He was the formator in the minor seminary of Carraia from 1947 to 1949, the year he left for Baja California in Mexico.

He sailed from Naples on the ship "Italia" with Fr. Carlo Pizzaioli, Fr. Marcello Panozzo, Fr. Gino Sterza, Bro. Igino Olivieri and Bro. Virginio Negrin. After a few months at Santa Rosalia with Fr. Amedeo Ziller, he was assigned to Todos Santos as assistant pastor with Fr. Carlo Pizzaioli and Bro. Erminio Pilia. That same year he was appointed parish priest of the mission of Todos Santos. On 12 December of the 1954 Marian Year, he blessed the first stone of the new church of the "Fisherman".

In 1960 Mgr. Giovanni Giordani blessed the first stone of the church dedicated to the Virgin of Fatima which replaced the church of Todos Santos. Fr. Mario also started the work on a house for the sisters.

On March 4, 1958, returning from the USA where he had been to do mission appeals, Fr. Mario was arrested at the Mexican border of Mexicali for innocently saying that he was a priest (whom the constitution did not allow in Mexico). He had to spend 24 hours in the police station and then as guest of the Holy Ghost Missionaries. Only after paying 8000 pesos bail and a 1000 pesos fine could he continue his journey to Sahuayo, Mexico, and finally to Todos Santos.

In 1961-62 he was assigned to Corella, Spain, as spiritual director. After about a year he joined the community of the seminary in San Francisco del Rincón in Mexico, where he dedicated himself to pastoral work. Toward the end of 1963, after the tragic death of Fr. Luigi Corsini, Fr. Mario returned to his old mission of Todos Santos. Four years later he was sent to La Paz to minister in the parish of Santiago.

Fr. Mario attended the Comboni updating course in Rome in 1988. The next year he was again in Baja California at Casa Comboni in La Paz. Beginning in 1982 he did pastoral ministry in the parish of St. Ignacio for about four years, until he was asked to join the La Paz community and take charge of the Sacred Heart chapel with Fr. Efrem Agostini. As vicar for religious and always available for confessions, he was always sought out by many.

Fr. Mario returned to Italy for holidays in June 2001. He was not feeling well then. He regained his strength pretty much at the Mother-house in Verona and hoped to be able to return to Baja California in November. The Lord, instead, called him on 18 September 2001.

Da Mccj Bulletin n. 214 suppl. In Memoriam, aprile 2002, pp. 63-72