His novitiate report tells us that “He was a Bergamasco (native of Bergamo) even in his religious practices!”  He was attached to his native region;  his behavior, industry, sacrifice and sobriety where characteristic of Bergamo.  He came of good stock.  He was born in the village of Castelli Calepio in the Province of Bergamo, on February 24, 1928, the son of Pietro Pagani and Lucia Picchi.  The village was populated by the families of farmers and laborers, honest and devout people.  Angelo went to elementary school in Cividino and Palazzolo sull’Oglio.  He finished school at the age of twelve and became an apprentice house painter.  His apprenticeship was brief.

On October 2, 1941, in the midst of the war he entered the seminary at Montevecchia.  Life was difficult – he shared food and hunger with his companions.  The Institute asked the parish priest of Cividino, don Angelo Brignoli, for information about Angelo.  This was his response:  “His good will is extraordinary and his education is pretty good.  As for his spiritual life – he was the best of the boys in my care.”  He attended middle school in the Montevecchia seminary and at the end of the war he transferred to the Minor Seminary of Varallo Sesia for his high school studies.  He made his novitiate in 1949-1950.  At the end of his novitiate his Master described him as … “a good sort.  Solid and persevering piety;  docile and malleable, easy and pleasant to live with.  He is not extremely intelligent but he studies very hard.  He has energy and common sense when it comes to manual labor.  He is generous with his efforts and ready for sacrifice:  his generosity is especially notable.  He is a typical Bergamasco – solid, few words, much work…”

On June 20, 1954 he was ordained to the priesthood in Turin by Msgr. Lorenzo Bessone, the Bishop of Meru in Kenya.  That same month he left for London.  In a letter to the Superior General he wrote, “We arrived in London last night and were met by Father Mario Borello … The house is beautiful and comfortable.  We will probably remain in London to learn English.”  Not for long, however.  From 1955 to 2003 he was in Tanzania in the missions of Kipengere, Kisinga, Nyabula, Matamba.  The names recall the extreme poverty in which missionaries worked.  Kipengere is linked to Father Bartorelli who worked so hard for the school there.  It now belongs to the diocese of Njombe which resulted from the separation of Peramiho.  The Kisinga and Matembwe missions also became part of the same diocese.  Matembwe is a Lutheran fortress – not at all amenable to ecumenism.  The only mission that is still part of Iringa is Nyabula.  Father Emilio Oggé describes this mission in his book “Come nasce una missione” [How a Mission is Born].

Father Angelo Pagani worked in those troubled places for 49 years.  He witnessed the afflictions of weather, war and poverty, but persevered.  His style was born of the Bergamo plane and ripened by closeness to God and the people.  His faith in God was equal to the love he had for his people and the sufferings he endured in his body.  He suffered chronic bronchitis, diabetes, hypertension and poor circulation.  Father Giuseppe Inverardi, his superior, writes:  “He bore everything with serenity;  he never let his poor health interfere with work.”  He was extremely sensitive in his pastoral work with both the young and the old.  His body became so weak he had trouble carrying on.  He celebrated Mass with his confreres until July 6.  On the 7^th and 8^th he did not rise for the morning concelebration.  He made it to breakfast, however, and celebrated Mass alone later in the morning.  On the following day, July 9, we waited for him anxiously.  We found him bent over the headboard of his bed with his head leaning backwards.  Sisters and confreres waked the body and took part in the concelebration at Nyabula.  The following Friday His Excellency, Msgr. Tarcisius Ngalalekumtwa, celebrated a solemn Mass in the Cathedral of Tosamaganga.  Forty-four priests concelebrated and a large crowd attended.  It included friends, Consolata Sisters, Teresian Sisters, SCIM Brothers and seminarians.  In his homily the Bishop described Father Angelo Pagani – he was simple and dependable, a man of deeds rather than words.

Giovanni Tebaldi