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May 22, 2020

CANAVESI Antonio (Father)

5 May 1936, Rho - 1st August 2019, Albiate (Italy)

Fr Antonio Canavesi SCJ

Fr. Antonio was born and spent his childhood in Castellazzo di Rho (Italy). He entered in the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Betharram, where he prepared himself for the consecrated life and for the priesthood. He sought to make his own the virtues of the Heart of Jesus: availability and absolute obedience, perfect simplicity and unalterable meekness, particularly in accepting in his life any kind of charge or mission: in the parish of Lissone; professor of mathematics at Colico College; teacher at the minor seminary (apostolic School) of Albavilla; parish priest in a mountain close to Rome, for three years in community with various jobs at Bethlehem in the Holy Land and for eight years in the Central African Mission, of which he was the co-founder, then a year in Ivory Coast; and again in Rome in the community of the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles at Piazza del Popolo and assistant parish priest at the periphery; once again in Holy Land at Nazareth and in the last ten years as Bursar in Albiate where he ended his long and varied path of life.

Fr. Piero Trameri scj, Regional Vicar in Italy

 

I had known Father Antonio at the parish of the Sacred Heart of Lissone, my home parish, and years later, it was he who accompanied me for the first time in Niem (Central Africa). It was on 5 July 1987. A few months earlier, at Christmas 1986, he had founded the mission of Betharramites in the Central African Republic, in companywith Fr Arialdo Urbani scj.

For everyone here, in the mission of Niem, he was simply called Baba Antoine. For almost eight years, he was rather a peculiar father, surly at first but offering his heart to everyone. I had spent wonderful moments in his company. At that time, just like now, there was no television in Niem. So, after dinner, we were chatting a bit or playing endless card games. If our mission today is full of beautiful fresh mango trees, avocados, orange trees and manderines, thanks to him. He had planted them one by one, struggling tirelessly with the goats that were always ready to devour every little bud. I remember him, on Sunday afternoon, he was going to settle in the garden with the radio and, surrounded by the children, he was developing a rather special oratory, which had nothing to envy to our Milanese oratories. At the driving of the Jeep, he was little adventurous and more than once instead of following the route of the red dirt track... he was opening new paths.

Today he has taken the better path, that of paradise. The path of peace and of joy of the definitive encounter with the Lord that he has always served with great passion in his priestly ministry.

Goodbye Baba Antoine! Here everyone greets you! Bara Mo, Mo Gwe Nzoni. Nzapa a bata mo na ya ti ngia na ti siriri ti lo (Good bye Fr. Antonio. Go in peace. May God welcome you in his joy and peace forever!).

Tiziano Pozzi scj
Regional Vicar in Central African Republic

 

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NEF, Family news

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Nef is the official bulletin of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Betharram.
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You can read the NEF by going to the appropriate section of the portal, which also contains the archive of recent years.

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