Fr. José Luis Carreño (1905-1986) was described by historian Joseph Thekkedath as “the most beloved Salesian of South India” in the first half of the twentieth century. In every place he lived, whether in British India, the Portuguese colony of Goa, the Philippines, or Spain, we find Salesians who cherish his memory with affection. Strangely, however, we still lack an adequate biography of this great Salesian, except for the lengthy obituary letter written by Fr. José Antonio Rico: “José Luis Carreño Etxeandía, God’s labourer.” We hope this gap will soon be filled. Fr. Carreño was one of the architects of the South Asia region, and we cannot afford to forget him.

José-Luis Carreño Etxeandía was born in Bilbao, Spain, on 23 October 1905. Orphaned of his mother at the tender age of eight, he was welcomed into the Salesian house in Santander. In 1917, at the age of twelve, he entered the Aspirantate at Campello. He recalled that in those days, “we didn’t speak much about Don Bosco… But for us, a Fr. Binelli was a Don Bosco, not to mention Fr. Rinaldi, then General Prefect, whose visits left us with a supernatural sensation, like when Yahweh’s messengers visited Abraham’s tent.”
After novitiate and post-novitiate, he did his practical training as an assistant to the novices. He must have been a brilliant cleric, because Fr. Pedro Escursell wrote about him to the Rector Major, “I am speaking at this very moment with one of the model clerics of this house. He is an assistant in the formation of personnel in this Province. He tells me that for some time he has been asking to be sent to the missions and says he has given up asking because he receives no response. He is a young man of great intellectual and moral worth.”
On the eve of his priestly ordination in 1932, the young José-Luis wrote directly to the Rector Major, offering himself for the missions. The offer was accepted, and he was sent to India, where he landed in Mumbai in 1933. Just a year later, when the South India Province was established, he was appointed novice master at Tirupattur; he was only 28 years old. With his extraordinary qualities of mind and heart, he quickly became the soul of the house and left a deep impression on his novices. “He won us over with his fatherly heart,” wrote one of them, Archbishop Hubert D’Rosario of Shillong.
Fr. Joseph Vaz, another novice, often recounted how Carreño noticed him shivering with cold during a conference. “Wait a moment, hombre,” said the novice master, and he went out. Shortly after, he returned with a blue jumper which he handed to Joe. Joe noticed that the jumper was strangely warm. Then he remembered that under his cassock, his master was wearing something blue… which was now missing. Carreño had given him his own jumper.
In 1942, when the British government in India interned all foreigners from countries at war with Britain, Carreño, being a citizen of a neutral country, was left undisturbed. In 1943, he received a message via Vatican Radio: he was to take the place of Fr. Eligio Cinato, Provincial of the South India Province, who had also been interned. Around the same time, Salesian Archbishop Louis Mathias of Madras-Mylapore invited him to be his vicar general.
In 1945, he was officially appointed Provincial, a position he held from 1945 to 1951. One of his very first acts was to consecrate the Province to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Many Salesians were convinced that the extraordinary growth of the South Province was due precisely to this gesture. Under Fr. Carreño’s leadership, Salesian works doubled. One of his most far-sighted acts was the establishment of a university college in the remote and poor village of Tirupattur. Sacred Heart College would eventually transform the entire district.
Carreño was also the main architect of the “Indianisation” of the Salesian face in India, seeking local vocations from the outset, rather than relying solely on foreign missionaries. A choice that proved providential, first, because the flow of foreign missionaries ceased during the War; then, because independent India decided to no longer grant visas to new foreign missionaries. “If today there are more than two thousand Salesians in India, the credit for this growth must be attributed to the policies initiated by Fr. Carreño,” wrote Fr. Thekkedath in his history of the Salesians in India.
Fr. Carreño, as we have said, was not only Provincial but also vicar to Bishop Mathias. These two great men, who deeply respected each other, were nevertheless very different in temperament. The archbishop favoured severe disciplinary measures for confreres in difficulty, while Fr. Carreño preferred milder procedures. The extraordinary visitor, Fr. Albino Fedrigotti, seems to have sided with the archbishop, describing Fr. Carreño as “an excellent religious, a man with a big heart,” but also “a bit too much of a poet.”
There was also the accusation of being a poor administrator, but it is significant that a figure like Fr. Aurelio Maschio, great procurator and architect of Salesian works in Mumbai, firmly rejected this accusation. In reality, Fr. Carreño was an innovator and a visionary. Some of his ideas, such as involving non-Salesian volunteers for a few years of service, were viewed with suspicion at the time but are now widely accepted and actively promoted.
In 1951, at the end of his official term as Provincial, Carreño was asked to return to Spain to work with the Salesian Cooperators. This was not the real reason for his departure after eighteen years in India, but Carreño accepted serenely, though not without suffering.
In 1952, however, he was asked to go to Goa, where he remained until 1960. “Goa was love at first sight,” he wrote in Urdimbre en el telar. Goa, for its part, welcomed him into its heart. He continued the tradition of Salesians serving as spiritual directors and confessors to diocesan clergy and was even patron of the Konkani writers’ association. Above all, he governed the Don Bosco Panjim community with love, cared with extraordinary fatherliness for the many poor boys, and once again actively sought vocations to Salesian life. The first Salesians of Goa, people like Thomas Fernandes, Elias Diaz, and Romulo Noronha recounted with tears in their eyes how Carreño and others would go to the Goa Medical College, right next to the Salesian house, to donate blood and thus earn a few rupees to buy food and other necessities for the boys.
In 1961, the Indian military action and annexation of Goa took place. At that time, Fr. Carreño was in Spain and could no longer return to his beloved land. In 1962, he was sent to the Philippines as novice master. He accompanied only three groups of novices because in 1965, he asked to return to Spain. His decision stemmed from a serious divergence of vision between him and the Salesian missionaries from China, especially with Fr. Carlo Braga, superior of the Preprovince. Carreño strongly opposed the policy of sending young Filipino Salesians who had just professed to Hong Kong for philosophy studies. As it happened, in the end, the superiors accepted the proposal to keep the young Salesians in the Philippines, but by then, Carreño’s request to return home had already been granted.

Don Carreño spent only four years in the Philippines, but here too, as in India, he left an indelible mark, “an immeasurable and crucial contribution to the Salesian presence in the Philippines,” in the words of Salesian historian Nestor Impelido.
Back in Spain, he collaborated with the Missionary Procures of Madrid and of New Rochelle and in the animation of the Iberian Provinces. Many in Spain still remember the old missionary who visited Salesian houses, infecting the young with his missionary enthusiasm, his songs, and his music.
But in his creative imagination, a new project was taking shape. Carreño devoted himself wholeheartedly to the dream of founding a Pueblo Misionero with two objectives: preparing young missionaries – mostly from Eastern Europe – for Latin America; and offering a refuge for ‘retired’ missionaries like himself, who could also serve as formators. After long and painful correspondence with his superiors, the project finally took shape in the Hogar del Misionero in Alzuza, a few kilometres from Pamplona. The missionary vocational component never took off, and very few elderly missionaries actually joined Carreño. His main apostolate in these last years remained that of the pen. He left more than thirty books, five of which were dedicated to the Holy Shroud, to which he was particularly devoted.

Fr. José-Luis Carreño died in 1986, in Pamplona at the age of 81. Despite the ups and downs of his life, this great lover of the Sacred Heart of Jesus could affirm, on the golden jubilee of his priestly ordination, “If fifty years ago my motto as a young priest was ‘Christ is everything,’ today, old and overwhelmed by His love, I would write it in golden letters, because in reality CHRIST IS EVERYTHING.”

Fr. Ivo COELHO, SDB

The universal Church and the Salesian Family bid farewell for the last time on December 31, 2024, to Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., emeritus Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Born in Molfetta (in the province of Bari, Italy) on 8 June 1938, he served the Holy See for many years and became a point of reference in theology, academic research, and the promotion of holiness within the Church. The funeral rites, presided over on 2 January 2025 by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, were held at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica. At the conclusion, His Holiness Francis presided over the rite of the “Ultima Commendatio” and the “Valedictio,” paying his homage to this illustrious son of St. John Bosco.
Below is a biographical profile retracing his life, the most significant stages of his formation, his academic and pastoral experiences, up to his mission as Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

The Origins and the Salesian Choice
Angelo Amato was born in Molfetta on 8 June 1938, the eldest of four children in a family of shipbuilders. Growing up in an environment that fostered a spirit of commitment and responsibility, he completed his early studies at elementary schools run by the Alcantarine Sisters and the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Molfetta. Later, he continued with middle school and, foreseeing a possible future in a maritime career, enrolled at the Nautical Institute in Bari, in the section for long-course captains. It was during his third year of studies, in October 1953, that he decided to pursue the priesthood: he left the Nautical Institute and entered the Salesian aspirantate in Torre Annunziata.
Thus, his religious vocation was intertwined from the beginning with the Salesian Family. After a probationary period, he completed his novitiate at Portici Bellavista from 1955 to 1956. On 16 August 1956—the day that Salesian tradition reserves for the first profession of the novices—he made his religious vows, becoming a Salesian of Don Bosco. From that moment on, his life would be profoundly linked to the Salesian charism, with particular attention to youth and education.
After the novitiate, Angelo Amato attended the philosophical seminary in San Gregorio in Catania, where he obtained his classical high school diploma (in 1959) and, subsequently, a degree in Philosophy at the then Pontifical Salesian Athenaeum in Rome (today the Pontifical University of the Salesian Order). In 1962 he made his perpetual profession, definitively consolidating his belonging to the Salesian Congregation. In those same years, he also undertook a practical internship at the Salesian College in Cisternino (Brindisi), teaching literature at the middle school level—an experience that immediately brought him into contact with youth apostolate and teaching, two dimensions that would mark his entire mission.

Ordination and Theological Studies
The next step in Angelo Amato’s journey was studying Theology at the Theological Faculty of the Salesian University, also in Rome, where he earned his licentiate in Theology. Ordained a priest on 22 December 1967, he decided to further specialize and enrolled at the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 1974, he obtained his doctorate in Theology there, thus joining the ranks of the university teaching staff. The field of theology fascinated him deeply, a passion that would be reflected in the great number of publications and essays he authored over the course of his academic career.

The Experience in Greece and the Research on the Orthodox World
A decisive phase in Father Angelo Amato’s formation was his stay in Greece, beginning in 1977, promoted by the then Secretariat for Christian Unity (today the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity). Initially, he spent four months at the Jesuit residence in Athens, where he devoted himself to the study of modern Greek—both written and spoken—in preparation for enrolling at the University of Thessaloniki. Once admitted to the courses, he obtained a scholarship from the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which allowed him to reside at Monì Vlatadon (Vlatadon Monastery), home to an institute for patristic studies (Idrima ton Paterikon Meleton) and a rich library specializing in Orthodox theology, enhanced by microfilms of the manuscripts of Mount Athos.
At the University of Thessaloniki, he attended courses in the history of dogmas with Professor Jannis Kaloghirou and systematic dogmatics with Jannis Romanidis. Simultaneously, he carried out an important study on the sacrament of penance in Greek Orthodox theology from the 16th to the 20th century: this research, supported by the well-known Greek patrologist Konstantinos Christou, was published in 1982 in the series Análekta Vlatádon. This period of ecumenical exchange and in-depth acquaintance with the Eastern Christian world greatly enriched Amato’s formation, making him an expert in Orthodox theology and the dynamics of dialogue between East and West.

Return to Rome and Academic Commitment at the Pontifical Salesian University
Back in Rome, Angelo Amato assumed the role of professor of Christology in the Theological Faculty of the Pontifical Salesian University. His scholarly abilities and clarity of exposition did not go unnoticed: he was appointed Dean of the same Theological Faculty for two terms (1981–1987 and 1994–1999). Furthermore, between 1997 and 2000, he served as Vice-Rector of the University.
During those years, he also gained further international experience: in 1988, he was sent to Washington to deepen his knowledge of the theology of religions and to complete his manual on Christology. Alongside his academic work, he held advisory roles for several bodies of the Holy See: he was a consultor for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and for the Pontifical Councils for Promoting Christian Unity and Interreligious Dialogue. He also served as an advisor to the Pontifical International Marian Academy, underlining his interest in Mariology—a field typical of the Salesian spirituality centered on Mary Help of Christians.
In 1999, he was appointed Prelate Secretary of the restructured Pontifical Academy of Theology and Director of the newly founded theological journal Path. Moreover, between 1996 and 2000, he was part of the theological-historical commission for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, thus contributing significantly to the organization of the jubilee celebrations.

Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Episcopal Ministry
On 19 December 2002, a very significant appointment came: Pope John Paul II designated him Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, concurrently elevating him to the rank of Archbishop and assigning him the titular see of Sila, with the personal title of Archbishop. He received episcopal ordination on 6 January 2003 in the Vatican Basilica, from none other than John Paul II himself (now Saint John Paul II).
In this role, Monsignor Angelo Amato collaborated with the then Prefect, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the future Benedict XVI). The Dicastery’s task was, and remains, to promote and safeguard the Catholic doctrine throughout the world. During his mandate, the new Archbishop continued to maintain an academic approach, combining his specialized expertise in theology with ecclesial service aimed at upholding the orthodoxy of the faith.

Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and the Cardinalate
A further step forward in his ecclesiastical career came on 9 July 2008: Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, succeeding Cardinal José Saraiva Martins. In this dicastery, Monsignor Amato was responsible for overseeing the processes of beatification and canonization of the Servants of God, discerning heroic virtues, miracles, and the testimony of those who, throughout history, have become saints and blesseds in the Catholic Church.
At the Consistory of 20 November 2010, Benedict XVI created him a Cardinal, assigning him the deaconry of Santa Maria in Aquiro. With his new red hat, he was able to participate in the conclave of March 2013, which elected Pope Francis. During Francis’s pontificate, Cardinal Amato was confirmed “donec aliter provideatur” as Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (on 19 December 2013), continuing in this role until 31 August 2018, when he resigned upon reaching the age limits, leaving a lasting legacy through the number of beatifications and canonizations examined during those years.

Commitment to the Local Church: The Example of Don Tonino Bello
A particular testimony to Cardinal Amato’s bond with his homeland occurred in November 2013, when he traveled to the Cathedral of Molfetta for the closure of the diocesan phase of the beatification and canonization process of Don Tonino Bello (1935–1993). The latter, Bishop of Molfetta from 1982 to 1986, was dearly loved for his commitment to peace and the poor. On that occasion, Cardinal Amato emphasized that holiness is not the privilege of a select few but a universal vocation: all believers, inspired by the person and message of Christ, are called to live their faith deeply, with hope and charity.

Final Years and Death
After stepping down from the leadership of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Angelo Amato continued to serve the Church by participating in events and ceremonies, always making his deep theological knowledge available. His commitment was always marked by a refined human touch, evident respect for his interlocutors, and a humility that often moved all who met him.
On 3 May 2021, his deaconry of Santa Maria in Aquiro was elevated pro hac vice to a presbyteral title, further honoring his long and faithful dedication to ecclesiastical ministry.
The death of the Cardinal, which occurred on 31 December 2024 at the age of 86, has left a void in the Salesian Family and in the College of Cardinals, now composed of 252 cardinals, of whom 139 are electors and 113 are non-electors. The announcement of his passing elicited reactions of sorrow and gratitude throughout the ecclesial world: the Pontifical Salesian University, in particular, recalled his many years of teaching as a professor of Christology, his two mandates as Dean of the Theological Faculty, and the period during which he served as Vice-Rector of the institution.

A Legacy of Fidelity and the Pursuit of Holiness
In reflecting on the figure of Cardinal Angelo Amato, certain traits emerge that characterized both his ministry and his testimony. First and foremost, his profile as a Salesian religious: his fidelity to his vows, his deep bond with the charism of St. John Bosco, and his attention to youth, as well as intellectual and spiritual formation, represent a constant guiding line throughout his life. Secondly, his vast theological production—particularly in the areas of Christology and Mariology—and his contribution to dialogue with the Orthodox world, of which he was a passionate scholar.
Undoubtedly, his service to the Holy See as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and as a Cardinal, underlines the importance of his role in promoting and safeguarding the Catholic doctrine, as well as in valuing the witnesses of holiness. Cardinal Amato was a privileged witness to the spiritual richness that the universal Church has expressed over the centuries, and he played an active role in the recognition of figures who serve as beacons for God’s people.
Moreover, his participation in a conclave (that of 2013), his closeness to great Pontiffs such as John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis, and his collaboration with numerous dicasteries testify to a service given in every possible dimension—a fusion of academic insight and pastoral governance within the Church.
The death of Cardinal Angelo Amato leaves behind a legacy of doctrine, ecumenical sensitivity, and love for the Church. The Diocese of Molfetta, which had already experienced his participation in the beatification process of Don Tonino Bello, remembers him as a man of faith and tireless pastor, capable of uniting the demands of theological discipline with those of pastoral charity. The Salesian Family, in particular, recognizes in him the fruit of a well-lived charism, imbued with that “educational charity” that, since Don Bosco, has accompanied the journey of countless consecrated individuals and priests around the world, always in service to the young and the needy.
Today, the Church entrusts him to the mercy of the Lord, in the certainty that, as the Pontiff himself affirmed, Cardinal Amato, a “good and vigilant servant,” may now behold the face of God in the glory of the saints he helped to recognize. His testimony, made concrete by a life devoted to service and by profound theological preparation, remains as a sign and encouragement to all who wish to serve the Church with fidelity, meekness, and dedication, until the end of their earthly pilgrimage.
In this way, the message of hope and holiness that animated every action of his finds its fulfillment: whoever sows in the field of obedience, truth, and charity reaps a fruit that becomes a common good, an inspiration, and a light for future generations. And this, ultimately, is the most beautiful legacy that Cardinal Angelo Amato leaves to his religious family, to the Diocese of Molfetta, and to the entire Church.

And We Must Not Overlook the Scriptural Legacy Left by Cardinal Angelo Amato.
Below is a list — surely not complete — of his publications:

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, SDB, had the opportunity to know the late Cardinal Angelo Amato very well. Both shared the Salesian vocation and had collaborated as teachers at the Pontifical Salesian University. Later, Fr. Angelo Amato succeeded Mons. Bertone as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a position he held from 2002 to 2008.
His Eminence Cardinal Bertone wishes to offer his personal testimony about Cardinal Amato, which we present below.

            Cardinal Angelo Amato was one of the most intelligent Salesians, well-versed in the human and ecclesiastical sciences. His ability to grasp and connect Philosophy and Theology was especially evident during his years of study at the Salesian University, as part of a group of exceptional students who brought prestige to the same and who later distinguished themselves not only in teaching, but also in service to the Holy See at the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia.
            I particularly remember his exceptional skill in the study of Christology and Mariology. His writings were highly refined, and he was sought after as a preacher of Spiritual Exercises, especially for consecrated persons, not to mention the sharpness of his opinions in promoting Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue. In fact, he was particularly appreciated by the then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (who later became Pope Benedict XVI), and by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. For this reason, he was sent to Greece to study the Theology of the Eastern Fathers, learned ancient Greek and modern Greek, and even published a highly regarded study at the Greek University of Thessaloniki on the conception and practice of the Sacrament of Penance among the Eastern Fathers. During that time, he learned the art and spirituality of “writing” icons, which he continued to practice until the end of his life. In Rome, he primarily taught at the Pontifical Salesian University, becoming Dean of the Faculty of Theology, and as an expert in Christology and Mariology, he was appointed Consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and later also Secretary of the same.

            It is interesting to note the contribution that Fr. Angelo Amato made in collaboration with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for the drafting of the famous dogmatic declaration “Dominus Jesus” of September 1, 2000. It is declaration desired by Pope John Paul II and drafted by Cardinal Ratzinger with the fine and intelligent collaboration of Fr. Angelo Amato. Cardinal Ratzinger later valued him for the documents and reflections produced by that doctrinal Dicastery of the Roman Curia. Then, when Secretary, Msgr. Tarcisio Bertone was appointed Archbishop of Genoa, a successor was sought. I remember very well the consultations of Cardinal Ratzinger and the dialogues with His Holiness John Paul II. Among the candidates for succession, the name of Fr. Angelo Amato stood out, but in a conversation between Cardinal Ratzinger and myself with Pope John Paul II, I pointed out a peculiarity that seemed to create some difficulty, namely the fact that one Salesian would succeed another Salesian in this important role. Pope John Paul II asked Cardinal Ratzinger, “But does this pose a problem for Cardinal Ratzinger? Would Cardinal Ratzinger like to appoint another Salesian to the position of Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith?” Cardinal Ratzinger replied, “I would prefer Fr. Angelo Amato because I have found it very good to work with him here at the Dicastery, and we are in perfect harmony.” John Paul II responded, “Then let us appoint Fr. Angelo Amato as the new Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.” And so this happened on December 19, 2002.

            He carried out many activities in drafting the documents that characterised the Magisterium of this Dicastery of the Roman Curia presided over by Cardinal Ratzinger, and subsequently, Pope John Paul II decided to create him a Cardinal and appoint him Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. In this role, he carried out intense activity promoting holiness in the Church, holiness in consecrated life, lay life, and priesthood. He also published among his volumes a series of biographies of Blessed and Saints that made known and multiplied the attraction of holiness in the variety of charisms, cultures, and people that enriched the Church, with many beneficial examples and initiatives.
He remained Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for 10 years, until 2018, and continued his magisterial activity for the Church in service to the Popes. Pope Francis sent a beautiful telegram to the General Vicar of the Salesian Congregation, praising the “Salesianity” of Cardinal Amato and his work as Prefect of the Causes of Saints.
            We include the message in full:

REVEREND DON STEFANO MARTOGLIO SDB
VICAR OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
SOCIETY OF SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES (SALESIANS)
ROME

            Upon learning of the news of the passing of dear Cardinal Angelo Amato, I express my closeness to you and to the Brothers of this Religious Institute, as well as to the family of the late Cardinal. I thank God for the edifying testimony of this spiritual son of Saint John Bosco, who for many years dedicated himself with human finesse and generosity to the Gospel and the Church. I think of his priestly soul and the theological preparation with which he served the Holy See, especially in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and in that of the Causes of Saints. I assure my prayers for the soul of this good and vigilant servant who, faithful to his motto ‘Sufficit gratia mea’, even in the final days marked by suffering, entrusted himself to the goodness of the Heavenly Father. I trust that, accompanied by Mary Help of Christians and the Saints and Blesseds he led to the glory of the altars, he will be welcomed into the eternal banquet of Heaven, and I send my blessing to all who share in the sorrow of his passing.

Francis

            Among the Salesian Cardinals, especially endowed with great theological charisma, Cardinal Angelo Amato stands out, leaving a great heritage of doctrine and wisdom available not only to the Pontifical Salesian University but also to various institutional centres of study and spirituality, with the hope that it continues to impact the life of the Church and the formative Communities.

✠ Tarcisio Card. Bertone

John Lee Tae Seok, also known as ‘Fr. Jolly’, was a Korean Salesian who dedicated his life to caring for the poorest and most suffering, especially in South Sudan.Although his life was unfortunately short, he left an indelible mark on the hearts of the people he met through his commitment as a doctor, educator and man of faith.His legacy continues to inspire thousands of people around the world.

Childhood and roots of vocation
Yohan Lee Tae Seok (John Lee) was born on 19 September 1962 in Busan, a southern city in South Korea. He was the ninth of ten children, four boys and six girls, in a deeply Catholic family (one brother, Tae-Young Lee, became a Franciscan friar and one sister, Cristina, consecrated in the Focolare Movement).
Even as a young man, he showed signs of extraordinary leadership and an inclination towards service to others. He attended daily Mass and was gifted for music. At the age of ten, he lost his father, and his mother became his point of reference, supporting him in his faith journey and studies.
Despite his desire to become a priest at the age of fifteen, his mother convinced him to continue studying medicine.
In 1987, after graduating with honours from Inje University Medical School, John started working as a military doctor during his compulsory military service. It was during this time that he met the Salesians through a military chaplain, an encounter that would change his life forever. Determined to follow the Salesian vocation, John tried for months to communicate his decision to his mother, without success.
He himself recounts:

‘It was Mary Help of Christians who took matters into her own hands.I had decided to embark on Salesian life with great joy, but I was anxious to communicate my decision to my mother.Since my father had passed away when I was ten years old, my mother had had to work hard to get me to study medicine.And thanks to her many sacrifices, I had been able to become a doctor.I should have started helping my mother to reward her for the sacrifices she had made without ever holding anything against me.That was why it was so difficult for me to tell her my decision.It was almost impossible for me to tell her.
I had tried many times, but had never succeeded because looking at her, I lacked courage.I even tried to tell one of my sisters with whom I talked about everything without problems and to whom I confided everything.But I just couldn’t.So months passed without me being able to say anything.
But a beautiful day came.I went to my sister for another try, but I was speechless: my sister already knew everything about my decision.A dream the night before had explained everything to her.I would like to tell you the content of the dream, but I cannot without the bishop’s permission.Anyway, my sister told my mother about her dream and all my difficulties melted away in an instant.
I had not thought of direct help from Mary Help of Christians until I heard, for the first time, from the novice master that all Salesian vocations are linked to Mary Help of Christians.
I had not asked Mary for help.Mary had noticed my difficulty and helped me in a silent and discreet way.This was the first experience of Mary that I was able to have.For me, this experience was invaluable because it enabled me to understand the reality of ‘Mary help of Christians’ and to learn the attitude we must have when helping others: that is, being attentive to the needs of others and being ready to give them the help they need.From then on I could speak to the boys with certainty about the presence of Mary Help of Christians’.

The Salesian vocation and service to the poor
He began his novitiate on 24 January 1993 and made his first profession on 30 January 1994.
After completing his two-year philosophy course at Gwangju Catholic University, he did his practical training at the Salesian House in Dae Rim Dong, Seoul. There he looked after some 80 at-risk boys, with a lot of creativity in the classroom and in the playground. He taught this class of difficult boys, who learned – at the age of 18 – to write the Korean alphabet. With his musical talents he made these boys sing a Tantum Ergo in Latin every Sunday evening, to a pop rhythm composed by him. He himself had composed.

He continued his theological studies.
Sent to Rome to study at the Pontifical Salesian University in 1997, he met a missionary, Brother Comino, who had served for 20 years in South Korea and then was sent to Sudan in 1991, at which time he was on holiday. By recounting his missionary experience, he strengthened John Lee’s desire to become a missionary.
Watching the film ‘Molokai’, a biographical film about Father Damian, a Belgian missionary who worked at the Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, motivated him even more to commit himself to living as Father Damian.
During the 1999 holidays he did a missionary experience in Kenya and met Fr James Pulickal, a Salesian of Indian origin working in Tonj, South Sudan. He visited Tonj when the war was still going on, was deeply impressed and decided to dedicate his life to the poor children of Tonj. This small village in South Sudan, destroyed by the civil war, where he met lepers and the poor, changed his life forever.
After being ordained a priest in 2001, John Lee returned to Tonj, determined to serve the local population as a doctor, priest and Salesian, and to treat the sick as if they were Jesus. He joined the Salesian community in Tonj, made up of brothers of different nationalities, with the aim of rebuilding – after the war – the Christian community, the oratory, schools and mission stations in the surrounding villages.

The mission in South Sudan: Tonj, a small miracle
The conditions after the war were very bad. This prompted Fr John Lee Tae Seok to work to improve the lives of the villagers. First of all, he opened a small clinic, which quickly became the only medical centre available in a large area. He treated all kinds of illnesses, often with limited means, but with immense dedication. In addition to providing immediate medical care, he made a long-term commitment to educating the local population about disease prevention and hygiene, topics of which the locals were largely unaware due to their lack of education.

In addition to his work as a doctor, Lee Tae Seok was a tireless educator. He founded a school for the village children, where he taught not only school subjects, but also values of peaceful coexistence and mutual respect, which are essential in a post-conflict context like South Sudan. Thanks to his passion for music, he also taught children to play musical instruments, creating a band that became famous in the region. The band not only offered young people a way to express themselves, but also helped to build a sense of community and hope for the future.

A doctor with a priest’s heart
John Lee Tae Seok’s work was not limited to medicine and education. As a priest, his main goal was to bring spiritual hope to a population that had experienced years of suffering. He celebrated Mass regularly, administered the sacraments and offered spiritual comfort to those who had lost everything due to the war. His deep faith was evident in every aspect of his work, and his presence brought a sense of peace and hope even in the most difficult times.
One of the most admirable aspects of his mission was his ability to see the dignity in every person, regardless of their social status or state of health. He treated the sick with immense respect and devoted his time to anyone who needed help, even when exhausted by long hours in the clinic or lack of resources. This deep compassion did not go unnoticed: the people of the village regarded him not only as a doctor and a priest, but as a true friend and brother.

The fight against the disease and his legacy
Despite his tireless work and the love he gave to others, John Lee Tae Seok himself was afflicted by a serious illness. During his stay in South Sudan, he began to show signs of an advanced illness, which later turned out to be colon cancer. When the disease was diagnosed, it was already in an advanced stage, but Lee Tae Seok continued his work as long as possible, refusing to abandon the people who depended on him.
On 14 January 2010, aged only 47, John Lee Tae Seok died in Seoul, South Korea, after a thirteen-month battle with cancer. The news of his death left a deep void in the Tonj community and among all those who had known him. His funeral was a moving event, with thousands of people attending to honour a man who had dedicated his life to the service of others.
Despite his untimely death, the legacy of John Lee Tae Seok lives on. His last words were an invitation to pursue his dreams for Tonj: ‘I will not be able to realise my dreams for Tonj, but please pursue them’. The clinic he founded in Tonj continues its activities, and many of the people he trained, both in the medical and educational fields, are continuing his work. The band he created continues to play and bring joy into people’s lives.

Testimonials
Fr Václav Klement, a Salesian who was his superior (missionary in South Korea from 1986-2002), tells us:
“During the last 22 years, since obedience has taken me to so many countries in East Asia-Oceania and all over the Salesian world, I have seen so many small ‘miracles’ that Fr John Lee has worked through the film (‘Don’t Cry for Me, Sudan’ and others), his writings (‘The Rays of the Sun in Africa are still sad’ and ‘Will you be my Friend?’) or the various publications that tell his life story.
A young high school student in Japan took the step towards the catechumenate after seeing the film ‘Don’t Cry for Me, Sudan’, a Thai catechumen – on his way to baptism – was ‘confirmed’ in his faith thanks to the witness of Fr John Lee’s joyfully sacrificed life. A young Vietnamese Salesian, enjoying all the happiness in his ‘comfort zone’, was awakened and motivated for missionary life by the very film ‘Don’t Cry for Me, Sudan’. Yes, there are many Christians and non-Christians who have been awakened, confirmed in the faith or inspired for a vocational journey thanks to Fr John Lee.
The Salesians of the Korean Province have started a new Salesian presence in Busan, Fr John Lee’s hometown. In 2020 they opened a new community based in the ‘Fr John Lee Memorial Hall’ in Busan, right in the neighbourhood where John was born in 1962. The four-storey building constructed by the Busan – Seogu local government is entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco. Thus the story of Fr John Lee is told by his Salesian confreres immersed in the life of the neighbourhood who welcome many young people and faithful to bring them closer to the radiant witness of missionary life.”

International impact and spiritual legacy
Fr John Lee’s spirituality was deeply linked to Mary Help of Christians. He interpreted many events in his life as signs of Mary’s motherly presence. This devotion also influenced his approach to service: helping others quietly and discreetly, being attentive to the needs of others and ready to offer support.
Fr John Lee Tae Seok fully embodied the Salesian spirit, dedicating his life to the young and the poor, following Don Bosco’s example. His ability to combine medicine, education and spirituality made him a unique figure, capable of leaving a lasting imprint in a land marked by suffering.
His work continues in the ‘John Lee Foundation’, which continues to support Salesian works in Sudan.
His memory has been immortalised in numerous international awards and documentaries.
In 2011, after his death, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security of South Korea – on the recommendation of the public – presented him with an award, together with other people who contributed to society through voluntary work, donations and good deeds against all odds. The award is the highest, that of the Mugunghwa Order.
On 9 September 2010, the Korean television station KBS made a film about his work in Tonj, entitled ‘Don’t Cry For Me Sudan’. The documentary touched the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people and helped raise awareness of Fr John Lee and his mission around the world.
In 2018, the Minister of Education of South Sudan, Deng Deng Hoc Yai, introduced the study of Fr John Lee’s life in social studies textbooks for primary schools and in two pages of the citizenship textbook for middle schools. This is the first time that textbooks in South Sudan have included the story of a foreigner for his voluntary service in the country.
The success of the documentary film ‘Don’t Cry for Me, Sudan’ prompted the producers to continue. On 9 September 2020, director Soo-Hwan Goo launched a new documentary entitled ‘Resurrection’ which follows the story of Lee’s students a decade after his death and features around seventy of them, both in the Republic of South Sudan and Ethiopia.

John Lee Tae Seok was a living example of Christian love and solidarity. His life teaches us that even in the most difficult circumstances, with faith and dedication, we can make a difference in the world. John’s dreams for Tonj continue to live on thanks to those who, inspired by his figure, work to build a better future for the poorest and most needy.

A Salesian who will be spoken of again.

An important but practically unknown figure in the history of the early years of the Salesian Congregation, he spent his entire Salesian life dealing with financial matters. Dynamic and enterprising, he was a great administrator in the modern sense. We owe many works that are the current pride of the Congregation to his far-sighted and foresighted vision. But above all his love for Don Bosco was intense.

Childhood and youth
He was born on 29 January 1836 in the Brianza area of Lecco, in Monticello di Olgiate Molgora, diocese of Milan. His father Pietro and his brother, who ran a spinning mill, had married two sisters. They were both very religious families with one son a priest (the Salesian Antonio and his cousin Federico, a theologian and future Auxiliary Bishop in Milan) and one son who was a religious: Ambrogio, Antonio’s brother, a Salesian for a few years, and Sister Maria Serafina, Federico’s sister, a cloistered religious in Bergamo. Having completed his primary schooling, and a strong and robust teenager, Antonio immediately set to work in the family. As a leader at the parish oratory, he showed an aptitude for priestly life, with his ability to attract boys, organise their entertainment, and take them to church services. Returning from military service in the Austro-Hungarian army, he took responsibility for running the family business, where he revealed excellent administrative skills and great practical sense. When his mother died, young Antonio grew in the desire to become a priest. The parish priest Fr Nava took this on board and wrote to Don Bosco in early 1863, praising the young man’s gifts of nature and grace and asking him to accept him at Valdocco. After Don Bosco’s immediately positive reply, Fr Nava thanked him and assured him that the very grateful 26-year-old Antonio would arrive at Valdocco as soon as possible. The very generous parish priest undertook to pay in advance for five years, not just the “very modest” school fees requested by Don Bosco, but in the event of his death he would give furniture, silver cutlery and valuables in his possession as collateral.

Student-worker and priest-educator
Arriving in Turin on 5 March 1863 Sala began his secondary school studies. He was at ease at Valdocco, and as a “son of Mary” [late vocation] he not only made up for the school years he had missed, but, easy-going and practical in business affairs, in his free time he helped the sickly bursar Fr Alasonatti, lent a hand to those who worked to keep the house supplied, went to the market himself and assisted in the first construction works on the Church of Mary Help of Christians. The experience would serve him well for the various Salesian churches and buildings he would personally supervise over the following decades.
On 22 May 1869 Fr Sala was ordained priest, having been at the Lanzo house for four years.

Economer at Valdocco (1869-1880)
Even before the end of the school year, on 3 July 1869 Don Bosco asked him confidentially if he would be willing to move to Valdocco for some time because there was an absolute need for a house economer, since the Economer General, Fr Savio, was overworked. Fr Sala accepted and went down to Valdocco. He would stay there for 26 years, until his death.
There he was able to deepen his hasty theological studies by attending moral lessons at the Convitto for three years: they would be very useful to him in the pastoral ministry he would carry out for many years as ordinary confessor in the Church of Mary Help of Christians, chaplain of the Good Shepherd Institute, extraordinary confessor for the Artigianelli college, and later also spiritual assistant to the St Joseph’s women’s workshops at the Barolo refuge.
At the meeting of the Superior Council on 11 December 1869 Fr Savio was confirmed as Economer General, but Fr Sala also received many votes, and was formally elected economer at the Oratory Chapter the following January. He was to carry out a formidable economic and administrative activity within the mega work of Valdocco, with several hundred young people, divided between students, artisans, oratorians, clerics, with many classrooms, courtyards, workshops, refectories, dormitories, halls, the Church of Mary Help of Christians, chapels; to this must be added lotteries, buildings, general maintenance, tax problems, notaries… He was not without difficult moments, so much so that on 27 January 1870 from Florence Don Bosco invited Fr Rua to encourage him.
In January 1873, having started a small lottery with the first prize being a precious copy of Raphael’s Madonna di Foligno, Don Bosco entrusted him with the sale of the tickets, planned especially in Lombardy. Fr Sala travelled particularly through the provinces of Milan, Como and Varese, where he could offer written material with requests for donations to the most conspicuous families, whom he felt were close to him in some way and who were perhaps already in contact with Don Bosco. He sent out many of these, but many others were returned to him, so he went looking for other benefactors as far as Rome. One of the first Salesians, Fr Sala performed many other humble services, including the classic assistance in the courtyard and in the workshops and some teaching of young brothers. In 1876 in Rome, he took care of housing both the Salesians destined for the new foundations in Albano, Ariccia and Magliano, and the missionaries who had come to receive a mandate from the Pope. On 17 December 1876 he attended the meetings of the Superior Council for the first time: he would do so for almost 20 years. In 1878 he made inspections in Mornese and Chieri to provide for the necessary adaptation of the FMA houses. In October he did the same for the Salesians at Randazzo in Sicily and then at Este and Mogliano Veneto. He did the same for more than fifteen years. Don Bosco trusted him and he returned the trust right up to his deathbed, indeed even afterwards, as we shall see.

The General Chapter in 1880 elected Fr Sala Economer General, but he also remained Economer atValdocco for another three years. He immediately set to work.
In April 1881 he had the work on the Church of the Sacred Heart and the Salesian residence resumed in Rome. Then he became interested in the new building in Mogliano Veneto and examined the project for an extensive renovation of the house in La Navarra (France). At the beginning of April the following year he was back in Mestre to negotiate with the benefactress Astori and to make an inspection of the agricultural school being built at Mogliano; in November he accompanied the first four Salesians there. On 8 July 1883 he signed the specifications for the construction work of the Hospice of St John the Evangelist in Turin and in the autumn he had the rooms of the printing house at Valdocco tidied up, including the director’s office, decorating it with curtains on the windows, “deserving” a kindly rebuke from Don Bosco for such “superfluous refinements”. In mid-January 1884, for the National Exhibition of Science and Technology in Turin, it was decided to install the complex machine (purchased for the Salesian paper mill in Mathi), which churned out bound books from rags. It was a tough task for Fr Sala to get properly trained Salesian pupils to operate it. It was a resounding success with the public and Don Bosco allowed himself to refuse any prize other than first prize. Shortly afterwards Fr Sala went to Rome to accelerate the work at Sacred Heart so that at the beginning of May Don Bosco could lay the foundation stone of the Hospice, together with Count Colle (who would bring with him an offering of no less than 50,000 lira).
Obviously Fr Sala attended the meetings of the General Council to give his enlightened opinion especially on matters he was interested in: acceptance of works, foundation of a house in Paris, specifications for the one in Lucca, replacement of an old oven with a new one from Vienna at a favourable price, adoption of a “guest house” for the female staff at Valdocco, estimates for lighting costs for the houses in Vienna, Nice and Milan. On 12 September he presented the draft of the official coat of arms of the Salesian Congregation, which, once discussed and corrected, was approved by the Council. At the same meeting he was charged with resolving the dispute over the land in Chieri and the strip of municipal land in Turin used for the Church of Mary Help of Christians, but already compensated for by an exchange. Numerous meetings followed in September and October with the occasional presence of Fr Sala. On 9 December he dealt with the economic problems of various houses, including those in Sampierdarena, Naples and Schio.

The three years from 1885-1887
For the whole of the following year (1885) he was interested in the house at Faenza for which he “deserved” another fatherly reprimand from Don Bosco for excessive expenditure on the foundations. In April he attended a survey carried out at the College in Lanzo by order of the Civil Court of Turin. On 22 June he presented and had approved the plan to raise the FMA house in Nice by one storey. For the house to be erected in Trent he ensured the availability of adequate local economic resources, confident of the collaboration of the Municipality, but put on alert by Don Bosco who, ever vigilant, reminded him that often “the Municipalities promise then forget”. On 20 September 1885 Fr Sala reported to the Council about the land for the Salesian cemetery that could be purchased for 14,000 lire. He was authorised to try to lower the price and see that the project presented was accomplished.
There followed two more years of General Council meetings, of trips to help houses in difficulty due to building, administrative and economic problems. Meanwhile he had been re-elected Economer General (September 1886; he would be re-elected again six years later) and was preparing everything for the solemn consecration of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Rome (14 May). There, a few months later, at the express invitation of the Pope, a new Procurator and a new Parish Priest were appointed to replace Fr F. Dalmazzo, and Fr Sala had a thousand headaches to unravel the tangled skein of an unsustainable economic-financial situation.

With Don Bosco as he lay dying (January 1888)
Urgently summoned from Rome on 30 December, he was already at Don Bosco’s bedside on New Year’s morning. For the whole month he alternated with the young secretary Viglietti in assisting the sick man.
When Don Bosco died on 31 January, the same evening the General Council “promised the Lord that if Our Lady gives us the grace of being able to bury Don Bosco under the Church of Mary Help of Christians or at least in our house in Valsalice it would begin work on the decoration of his church this year or at least as soon as possible.” The formal request made by Fr Sala to the city authorities was rejected. He then appealed to Rome and the Prime Minister, F. Crispi, mindful of the help given him by Don Bosco when he was an exile in Turin, granted the burial outside the city at the Salesian College at Valsalice. In the meantime Don Bosco’s body was beside Fr Sala’s room. On the evening of 4 February he was transported to Valsalice. In the tiny procession up the hill Fr Sala wept: he had lost the dearest person he still had on earth. For another six years, however, he would continue to carry out with great competence the arduous field of work that Don Bosco had first entrusted to him. On 21 May 1895 he would join him in heaven, struck down by a heart attack.

            Fr Jose Luis Carreño has been described by the historian, Joseph Thekkedath, as “the most loved Salesian in South India” of the first part of the twentieth century. In every place where he lived – whether India, the Philippines or Spain – we find Salesians who treasure their memories of him. Strangely, however, we do not yet have a good biography of this great Salesian. Hopefully this will soon be remedied. Fr Carreño was one of the architects of the South Asia region, and we cannot afford to forget him.

            Jose Luis Carreño Etxeandía was born in Bilbao, Spain, on 23 October 1905. On the eve of his ordination in 1932 he volunteered for the foreign missions and was sent to India, landing in Mumbai in 1933. Barely a year later, when the province of South India was set up, he was appointed novice master in Tirupattur: he was hardly 28 years old. With his extraordinary qualities of mind and heart, he quickly became the soul of the house and left a deep impression on his novices. “We were won over by his fatherly heart,” writes one of his novices, Archbishop Hubert D’Rosario. Fr Joseph Vaz, another novice, would often narrate how Carreño had noticed him shivering during a conference. “Wait a moment, hombre,” said the novice master, and went out. A little later he returned with a blue sweater that he handed over to Joe. Joe noticed that the sweater was strangely warm. Then he remembered that his novice master had been wearing something blue under his cassock, that was no longer there. Carreño had given him his own sweater.

            In 1942, when the British government in India interned all foreigners who belonged to countries at war with Great Britain, Carreño, belonging to a neutral country, was not disturbed. In 1943, he received a message over the Vatican Radio that he was to take the place of Eligio Cinato, the provincial of the Southern province, who had also been interned. At the same time, Bishop Louis Mathias of Madras invited him to be his Vicar General. In 1945 he was officially appointed as provincial, an office he exercised from 1945 to 1951. One of his very first acts was to consecrate the province to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Many Salesians were convinced that the extraordinary growth of the Southern Province was due to this act. The Salesian centres doubled under the leadership of Fr Carreño. One of his most far-reaching acts was to begin a university college in the remote and poor village of Tirupattur. Sacred Heart College went on to transform the whole district.

            It was also Carreño who was largely responsible for ‘Indianizing’ the face of the Salesians in India, by immediately searching for local vocations instead of relying solely on missionaries. It was a wonderfully providential policy: when independent India decided not to grant visas to new foreign missionaries, the Salesians were not caught unprepared. “If the Salesians in India today number more than two thousand, the merit of that growth goes to the policies started by Fr Carreño,” says Fr Thekkedath in his history of the Salesians in India.

            Fr Carreño, as we have said, was not only provincial but also vicar of Msgr Mathias. These two great men who admired each other were also very different in character. The archbishop stood for strong disciplinary measures against erring confreres, while Fr Carreño advocated milder procedures. The extraordinary visitor, Fr Fedrigotti, seems to have taken the side of the archbishop, calling Fr Carreño “an excellent religious, a man with a great heart” but “a bit too much of a poet.” A few others also alleged that Fr Carreño was a poor administrator, but it is interesting that a man like Fr Aurelio Maschio strongly denied this. The fact is that Fr Carreño was an innovator and a visionary. Some of his ideas – like that of bringing non-Salesian volunteers to serve for a few years, for example – were frowned upon at the time, but are now being actively promoted.

            In 1952, after finishing his term as provincial, Fr Carreño was assigned to Goa, where he stayed till 1960. “Goa was love at first sight,” he wrote in Warp in the Loom. Goa, in its turn, took him to its heart. Salesians in those days were served as spiritual directors and confessors to the diocesan seminary and clergy, and Fr Carreño was even patron of the local Konkani writers’ association. And the first Salesians of Goa – people like Thomas Fernandes, Elias Diaz and the late Romulo Noronha – used to tell, with tears in their eyes, how Carreño and others would drop into the Goa Medical College Hospital next door to donate blood so as to buy food and other things for the boys.

            In 1962, Fr Carreño was transferred yet again, this time to the Philippines, as Rector and Novice Director in Canlubang. In 1967 – because of differences between missionaries coming from China and those coming from India – he was sent back to Spain. But in the Philippines as in India, his novices cannot help recalling this extraordinary man and the impression he left on them. In Spain he founded a ‘House for Missionaries’ and continued his apostolate of the pen. He left more than 30 books behind him, besides hymns like the beautiful “Cor Iesu sacratissimum” and more popular songs like “Kotagiri on the mountain.”

            Fr Jose Luis Carreño died in 1986 at Pamplona, Spain, at the age of 81. Despite the ups and downs of his life, this great lover of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was able to say on the golden jubilee of his priestly ordination: “If fifty years ago my motto as a young priest was ‘Christ is All,’ today, old and overwhelmed by his love, I would write it in solid gold, because in reality CHRIST IS ALL.”Fr. Ivo Coelho, sdb
Councillor for Formation

Fr Sergio Dall’Antonia, Salesian missionary and founder of the Salesian presence in Romania, ended his earthly pilgrimage in Bacau, Romania, on 21.02.2023, at the age of 83.

Sergio Dall’Antonia was born in Pieve di Soligo (Treviso, Italy), on 11 April 1939. His parents were Sonia and Angelo Lombardi. The family included an older brother, Francesco, and a little sister, Mariella, who died at the age of one. He was baptised on 14 April, receiving the names Sergio and Livio. His mother died when he was seven.

He attended primary school in the village and secondary school at the Salesian school Astori, in Mogliano Veneto, where the family had moved. Thanks to contact with the Salesians, he understood the divine call and at the end of the fifth year of grammar school asked to be a Salesian. He finished his novitiate on 15 August 1954 under the guidance of Fr Vigilio Uguccioni, in Albarè di Costermano, becoming a full Salesian.

After his high school and philosophical studies at Nave (1955-1958) and at Foglizzo (1958-1959), he returned to the Province for his practical training, which he did at Tolmezzo (1959-1961) and then at Pordenone (1961-1962), making his perpetual profession on 13th August 1961.

After his theological studies at Monteortone (1962-1966), concluded with his priestly ordination (02.04.1966) in the Marian Sanctuary of Monteortone, his superiors singled him out as a possible future teacher in the studentate, and so he was sent to Rome, to the Pontifical Salesian University, to study morals (1966-1970). Due to health problems, after his moral studies, he returned to the house in Pordenone (1970-1973) as a catechist and teacher. He thus began to manifest good organisational, artistic and animation skills, which would make him famous.

The Salesian San Luigi house in Gorizia had him for about fifteen years (1973-1986): here he became the soul of the Salesian Youth Tourism Association of Isontino. He organised festivities for young people and parents, art exhibitions, but above all he became the promoter of the famous “Friendship March”, in spring, and “Pedalling in Friendship”, in autumn. They would remain in local memory as the only events that in the Iron Curtain years allowed people to cross the border into Yugoslavia by merely displaying the event’s registration card. These events ended with a hot plate of pastasciutta offered to all participants, Italians and Yugoslavs, by the Army field kitchens housed in the courtyards at San Luigi.

For another decade he returned to Pordenone (1986-1996), always working in the field of education, until the Lord – through his superiors – asked him to go to Romania to open a Salesian presence. It was not easy at 57 to move to an unknown, former Communist, Orthodox-majority country and learn a language that would serve him no other purpose than communicating God’s love to young people. However, thanks to his willingness (which characterised him throughout his life) he left and became the founder of two Salesian houses: first in Constanța (1996-2001) and then in Bacău, where he would remain until the end of his earthly pilgrimage.

The memories of those who knew him describe him as a person who spoke little but did a lot, being a great and tireless worker. Always in the midst of the children, he entertained them with intelligent imagination and creativity. In the proclamation of the Christian message, he also entered the world of the Internet with a youthful spirit, running no less than four blogs, pulling from his repertoire for the young “things old and new”.

A man of faithful prayer, he prayed the Liturgy of the Hours entirely in front of the tabernacle and loved to meditate on the rosary with his confreres every evening after dinner. He was a great devotee not only of the Holy Eucharist, but also of Our Lady. He gave proof of his faith in visits to nearby Marian shrines and did not miss the feasts of the Blessed Virgin. He was faithful in his fortnightly confession and available as a confessor, appreciated by his confreres, the religious of the area and the faithful.
He leaves a memory as a patriarch, as the “Don Bosco of Romania”.

His steadfast faith is also reflected in his spiritual testament, which we reproduce below.

My Jesus, forgive me! May I love you forever!
In the event of my death, I consent to some organs useful for the life of another person being taken from my body, with the consent of my Superior of the Salesian house to which I belong. I willingly give them up as a humble sign of the Charity of Christ who made himself all things to all people to lead them back to the Father.
I ask forgiveness of my loved ones, my confreres and the young people for the evil done, the bad example set and the good not done or neglected. May the Church accept me in her forgiveness and in her prayer of suffrage. If anyone feels they have offended me in any way, let them know that I forgive them wholeheartedly and for ever.
May Jesus and Mary be my gentle friends for ever. May they accompany me by the hand to the Father in the Holy Spirit, obtaining mercy and forgiveness for me. From Heaven, where I hope to reach by the Infinite Mercy of God, I will love you forever, pray for you and ask every blessing for you from Heaven.
Fr Sergio Dall’Antonia

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. Rest in peace!

We report below his last published video.

A life spent for others. Fr Davide FACCHINELLO, sdb

Born in the thousand-year-old city of Treviso on 21 May 1974, Davide was baptised in the parish church of Loria (Treviso) where his family lived. He attended primary school in his birthplace and continued as a boarder in the two-year graphics school at the San Giorgio Institute in Venice, where he met the Salesians. He began a live-in experience in the Salesian Community in Mogliano Veneto, continuing his graphic design studies in Noventa Padovana where he received his qualifications. This experience led him to learn about the activities of the parish oratory in Mogliano, summer leadership initiatives, and formation groups, which would become catalysts for his response to a divine call, entering the novitiate in 1993. His first pastoral destination was in the Mogliano Veneto Astori house as Catechist for middle school, where he remained until 2011. He then received a new destination to the House at Este as vice-rector of the community and pastoral animator among the students at the Job Training Centre. This gave him a heartfelt desire for pastoral experience in mission lands, and he put himself at the disposal of the Salesian Congregation for this purpose. As his superiors indicated Peru as his destination, he immediately began to study Spanish, a language he continued to improve in while in the mission, at the same time as he immersed himself in the local culture.

Since his arrival in Peru in 2017, after a period of acclimatisation he was sent to the missionary community at Monte Salvado, in the region of Cusco. He started as assistant parish priest of Mary Help of Christians Parish, Quebrada Honda, in the Yanatile Valley, deep in the jungle where the Salesians accompany the Andean missions. After almost two years, he was appointed parish priest there on 12 April 2019.

As soon as he arrived, he dedicated himself to getting to know the people and putting himself at their pastoral service, being faithful to the instructions of the Archdiocese of Cusco and in collaboration with the local community. Since it was a missionary parish, he periodically visited all seventy-three communities, travelled to the most remote villages and reached the most humble and remote homes in a vast region. Eager to get even closer to the souls he served, he set about learning the Quechua language.

He initiated assistance and promotion projects, such as the parish canteen and a comprehensive psychological assistance programme, and, as a good Salesian, he gave encouragement to many oratories in the various villages. He intensely developed the renewal of catechesis along the lines of the RCIA, in harmony with the Province’s Educative and Pastoral Project. His commitment to the local Church was so great that he was appointed Dean of the region by the Archbishop of Cuzco. Among the testimonies of the people, the special care he had for some people (the poorest of the poor) stands out. David accompanied and promoted them in a special and very discreet way.

The testimonies received confirm that he was kind and attentive to the confreres in the community, an exemplary religious and a hard-working and committed apostle. From the very first moment he won the hearts of everyone with his kindness and serene cheerfulness; he was able to win the esteem and trust of people: companions, co-workers, parishioners and young people, thanks to his optimism, good sense, prudence and availability.

In addition to all this apostolic work, Davide was a much loved confrere: he loved being in the Salesian community, the confreres appreciated his good humour and his ability to create close bonds.

The young people at Monte Salvado (the school for young people from the jungle who attend the Salesian missionary community) loved him very much, appreciated the fact that he was happy to spend time with them during the break, and were impressed by his enthusiasm when he taught catechesis: his was a true sacrament of presence.

His earthly journey ended there: after sharing the feast of Mary Help of Christians with the parish community on 24 May 2022, he left for heaven in a car accident on his return around midnight. His final celebration of Our Lady would accompany him to Paradise.

Two fundamental traits that Don Bosco saw in St Francis de Sales – apostolic charity and loving-kindness – are those he most embodied. It is almost a reflection of what one of his countrymen, Fr Antonio Cojazzi, used to say: “Cheerful face, heart in hand, there goes the Salesian.”

We hope that he will obtain many holy vocations for us from Heaven to accompany young people on their earthly journey. In the meantime, let us pray for him.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.

Commemorative video