11th December
GIANCARLO
MITTEMPERGHER
(priest)
This morning, 11th December 2017, at 8:40 a.m. Fr.
Giancarlo Mittempergher returned to the Father's house.
He arrived in Verona (community of S. Leonardo) from the
community of St. Agatha (Rome) on the 18th November and was promptly admitted to the hospital of Borgo Trento, due to
his precarious health conditions. After ten days he was discharged, since it was known that there was no much
hope, because he was suffering from a widespread cancer. He spent his last days surrounded by his confreres and
the numerous relatives and friends who came close to him. On Sunday, the 3rd December he celebrated his
last Mass with some of his close relatives, leaving a vivid memory of himself.
His health situation got worse as from Monday, the 4th
December: a recurrent kidney failure caused him to fall into comatose state, until he expired. On the 8th December,
the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, while still partly conscious, he received the sacrament of the anointing of
the sick with the Viaticum.
The funeral was celebrated on Thursday, 14th December
2017, at the sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes (Verona) at 3:00 pm. At the end of the Eucharistic celebration he was buried
in the tomb of the Stigmatines at the cemetery of Verona.
Fr. Giancarlo was born at Condino (Trento) on the 18th January 1941,
from Stefano and Oliva Hueber, and professed his first vows on the 25th
September 1958. Still a theology student, in 1965 he left Italy for South
Africa, where he completed his studies and was ordained a priest at Mmakau on
the 4th December 1966. In South Africa he worked particularly for the
evangelization and renewal of the local Church of Pretoria in the post-conciliar
period, especially in the field of the formation of the laity, He became also
prefect of the temporary professed and then a novice master for twelve years, at
Jericho (South Africa) and Notwane (Botswana). Here he dedicated himself to
numerous diocesan activities. In 2005 he moved to California (USA), becoming
pastor of two parish communities in the city of Sacramento, where he worked for
seven years. Back to Italy, he worked again in the formation field with the
international experience of AIFA in Italy. He then moved to Rome, working for
the General Curia and for the Province of St. Maria della Speranza.
On the occasion of his 50th anniversary of priesthood (2016) he traveled to
South Africa and Botswana to see the new developments of those realities for
which he had hardly worked: it was an occasion for him to visit the people he
had met during the years of his long stay in Africa and with whom he had shared
his faith.
On his return from the journey, he began his ordeal with the illness that led
him to death.
We thank God the Father for giving us in Fr. Giancarlo a great example of
availability, imagination and faith in the Apostolic Mission at the service of
the local Churches in which he lived. We recommend him to our Lord Jesus Christ
to give him the reward of the good and faithful servant.
Verona, 11 December 2017
Fr.
Steven Senaldi
Tribute to the late Fr Giancarlo Mittemperger (Charles)
Mr. programme director, our priests, the bereaved family of Fr Charles, the
Stigmatine family,brothers and sisters, today is indeed a very sad day. I am
deeply saddened to write this tribute about the death of Father Charles.
I met
Fr. Charles in 1972 when he was our parish priest. I was 20 yrs old. He was also
young, enthusiastic, delligent dedicated and full of life… We attended Mass in
classrooms or school halls. This did not discourage us and our priests.
We
later got a site for the building of the church and started making contributions
for erecting a building. It was only after the parents of Fr Charles gave us a
big donation that the building started in earnest, Fr taught us about the role
of Mary as mother of the church and our parish became known as Maria mater
ecclesia. We shall remain forever indebted to the family of Mittemperger.
This
year Fr Charles visited our parish to say mass. You should have seen the
jubilation in the church. What was suprising is how he remembered most of us and
could still communicate clearly in Setswana (our local language).
We are
planning to have a feast of our parish MME next year. I emailed Fr about the
feast and he was excited and looking forward to joining us in the celebration,
Little did we know that we are not going to see him again.
Fr
Charles was knowledgeable and a great teacher, He inspired many of us to
volunteer as lay ministers and the choir as he could sing so well. He understood
us well and was able to balance our work in the church and our personal life.
In him
we lost a great teacher, mentor spiritual guide, a father and brother at the
same.
To the
Stigmatine family and the Italian community, we say thank you for the gift of
the many stigmatines who made the difference in our life. You Stigmatines
missionaries have laid a solid foundation of Christianity and Catholicism in
Southern Africa. We shall cherish fond memories we shared with these priests as
individuals and collectively.
To the
Mittemperger family, the Stigmatines and to the community at large, I wish to
say that you are not only the ones who lost but the entire church especially
parishioners in Ga-Rankuwa who lost.
We are
however consoled by the words of Jesus John 14:1-4,6. May the soul of father
Giancarlo Mittemperger rest in peace.
God bless you
John Mokwena
Ga Rankuwa
Zone Four
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