GINO ZANTEDESCHI (sacerdote)
Torbe (VR – Italy) 12/05/1948
Msolwa (Tanzania) 29/06/2011
Fr. Gino was born on the 12th May 1948, son of Antonio and Caterina Fedrighi. He entered our Congregation at the age of 10 at Cadellara (VR – Italy). During his studies he distinguished himself for his liveliness and capacity of learning.
He completed his Novitiate at Grottaferrata (Rome) under the guidance of Fr. Aldo Mattiussi and he continued with his theological studies at S. Leonardo (VR) frequenting the ‘Studio Teologico S. Zeno’. He was ordained a priest at Torbe on the 1st September 1973.
As his first ministry experience, he joined the community of ‘SS. Trinitŕ’ at Verona, which was then led by Frs. Arduini, Andreatta and Depaoli and where he worked with an apostolic enthusiasm. At the same time he taught Religious Education at the local Middle School. He was remarkable for the initiatives he developed for the youth of the parish, while he started opening his eyes towards the missionary world.
In 1982-83 he prepared himself for mission by following a course of English in London and subsequently he took part in the AMB (‘Associazione Missionaria Bertoni’) with Fr. Pietro Marchesini. On this occasion he got the chance of knowing many benefactors and many situations of need.
As from that time, tracing the path of Fr. Gino in his travels all over the world is practically impossible. He lived for a while at Hombolo (Tanzania) with Frs. Cesare Orler and Sandro di Tullio and from there he moved to S. Leonardo for missionary promotion and search of funds. He made friends not only in Rome, at ‘Propaganda Fide’, ‘Caritas’ and the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), but also beyond the Alps, in Germany. During his thirty years of work, Fr. Gino gave, in his own way, a contribution to all the projects in the Stigmatine Missions and beyond. He travelled repeatedly to Thailand, the Philippines, South Africa and the Ivory Coast. For twenty years he journeyed regularly to Tanzania with a group of youth from the school of the ‘Stimmate’, accompanied by Fr. Giuseppe Zanon, some teachers and parents.
It was difficult to know from Fr. Gino the exact amount of the projects he followed, because his awareness of the needs of the poor did not have limitations. And to those who were asking him for help, he donated with extreme generosity… even to exaggeration. Numerous were the benefactors who trusted him because they knew their contributions were in good hands. Personally he was very detached from money. A remark could have been made to his continuous travelling and restlessness, but these were motivated by the zeal of trying to involve as many people as possible in the missionary needs.
He had a particular attention for the original families of our Missionaries and our Confreres in general. ‘If do not go to visit them myself, nobody will keep contact with them’ – he was saying. He sent about 2,500 postcards to friends and benefactors just before leaving to Tanzania, as he did for many years for Easter and Christmas festivities. Nobody thought it would have been his last postcard, since he looked young and healthy. The Lord waited for him in Tanzania to give him the reward of a life spent for the mission.
In 2007 Fr. Gino was assigned to the community of Via Mameli (VR) and in 2008 he became its superior. Sarcastically, we were saying that, if an earthquake had struck, Fr. Gino would have survived, because he was never at home.
We have to remember also his spiritual life. He woke up very early, at 4:00 a.m., had his meditation and the Liturgy of the Hours. Then he sent a quick e-mail to his closest friends and at 6:00 a.m. he celebrated two Masses for the religious communities at ‘S. Giuliana’ Mental Hospital. For a long time he had his third Mass in the parish of ‘S. Benedetto’ to help a sick priest and without getting any financial reward, as he was ordered by his confessor. But we know that sometimes he celebrated also his fourth Mass in order to assist any sick or over-involved parish priest. Fr. Gino rushed there to lend a hand. He was a person whose heart ran before the mind, and he was happy!
In the afternoon he was usually at the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes to lead the rosary and hear confessions. Living with him, I understood he was very faithful to his weekly confession.
My personal experience: some years ago, in the late evening, before going to rest I was praying alone in a corner of our home chapel. Fr. Gino entered, but did not notice me. He went straight towards the tabernacle and said: ‘Hi, Jesus, I am Fr. Gino’. Then he left immediately for his room. Some weeks later I asked him: ‘Gino, what do you say to the tabernacle in the evening?’. And he told me the story of St. Martin de Porres, who every evening used to say in front of the tabernacle before going to bed: ‘Hi, Jesus, I am Martin’. And when dying he heard a voice: ‘Hi, Martin, I am Jesus!’.
I do not know what happened on that tragic afternoon of the 29th June 2011 near Msolwa in Tanzania, at the waterfalls. But I like to imagine that Somebody must have greeted Fr. Gino with similar words: ‘Hi, Fr. Gino, I am Jesus… you have already done many things, come with me!’.
His funerals were celebrated at the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Verona on the 11th July 2011 and on the same day in his home village of Torbe, where he was also buried in the local cemetery, close to his parents.
Fr. Giovanni Zampieri
Provincial Vicar
