In Pace Christi

Bro. Andrea was born on 29 October 1939 at Buscate (Milan). He did his novitiate in Venegono and made his first profession on 5 June 1976. After spending two years in Pordenone, in 1979 he was assigned to the province of Malawi-Zambia. He took final vows on 8 January 1984. He carried out all his missionary activities in Malawi-Zambia (1979-1988, 1992-1998, 2001-2017) and in Italy (1988-1992; 1998-2001; 2017-2021).

He served the mission of Malawi-Zambia for more than 30 years, sharing the life of the people and being part of the life of the Church without ever feeling he was a foreigner. People understand that those who come in the name of God, with light footsteps and a desire to serve, is not a foreigner but a brother who has come to make common cause with the people and become part of living Church and society. This was confirmed by Fr. Antonio Guarino who, writing from Lusaka, in Zambia, tells us: “This very bad news about the death of Brother Andrea. I knew him very well and we worked a lot together. I spent the best years of my missionary life in Malawi with him. He was an ingenious person, one of those great people and he will be sorely missed”.

Bro. Andrea went to the home of the Father on the morning of Saturday 6 November 2021, at the community of Castel D’Azzano, aged 82 years.

He had been in Castel d’Azzano just a few weeks, having come from the Rebbio community due to a sudden worsening of his condition. A few days ago, he was taken to the A & E suffering from a high degree of asthenia. He stayed there just for a short time and was brought back to the community. Unfortunately, his condition worsened ad he died of heart failure.

Is funeral was held on Monday 8 November at the house of Castel d’Azzano with the Superior, Fr. Renzo Piazza, presiding. Bro. Andrea had asked to be buried in his home town of Buscate where he was born and grew up, where his family gave him the gift of faith and where his missionary vocation was born.

Many confreres from all over the world have been enquiring about Bro. Andrea and sending their condolences as they recall their ties with him. (P. Renzo Piazza, mccj)