1931-2003

Brother Antonio was born in Palosco (BG) on December 15, 1931, the son of Antonio Costardi and Santina Pedroni.  He entered the Institute in 1949 and consecrated himself to God as a religious in 1952.  His first assignment was at Alpignano as head of the workshop and in charge of training brother candidates.  During that time he earned a diploma in technical mechanics from the Salesian school in Rebaudengo (TO).  After twelve years as a journeyman on the home front he was sent to Roraima in 1967.  He was overjoyed at this turn of events and wrote to Father Domenico Fiorina, the Superior General, “… you have given me a great gift, something I have been waiting for so many years – now I know those years were not in vain, they gave me a chance to learn much that will be useful in the missions and will help souls.   I am grateful for the respect and confidence you have shown me …”

Brother was immediately put in charge of the arts and crafts school workshop in Calungá (Boa Vista), a position he held until 1977.  He gave an account of his first impressions and what he hoped to achieve in a letter dated July 3, 1967 written shortly after accepting this new responsibility.  “I must admit that I very much like this job and the people I am working with.  There are so many possibilities to achieve something really worthwhile – there is also an abundance of good will.  At the urging of my superiors I accepted responsibility for the workshop this week.  I hope I will do my job well.  I am certainly willing and hope to achieve some good.”  His friendly rapport with co-workers contributed to his success.  He had especially good relations with Brother Marino De Cesari who  “shared his joys and labor” at the school.

A few months later he wrote to Father General and described the beauty of working together as brothers sharing a common goal .  “I make every effort to work with my confrères and do all I can to help them.  My co-workers, Mario De Cesari, Giovanni Leonardi and now Pietro Menegon and I are of one mind and share the same ideals.  I was very pleased yesterday when we laid the foundation of the sawmill.  We worked together without respite and left our students standing amazed on the sidelines … How beautiful it is, Father, to work in charity and mutual understanding.  Obstacles disappear and problems resolve themselves.  I can only pray that God will keep this spirit alive.”

During these years he did everything possible to get the school officially recognized by the government.  It was a lengthy process.  But the school was not his only field of endeavor – his pastoral work was charged with missionary zeal.  This pastoral work became ever more demanding and soon took up all his time.  On March 25, 1972, he wrote to his friend Father Tullio Martinelli, the General Treasurer, “On Saturday and Sunday I spend all my time in the São Vicente barrio working with young people.  We’ve already had baptisms in our small church and are trying to improve the religious situation.  I spend time visiting fragile families based on casual and precarious couplings that usually end in separation … a chaotic situation!  Children are frequently deprived of the sacraments.  A group of young people helping in this work.  We have established a “Friendship Club” devoted to volleyball…”

From 1977 to 1994 Brother Antonio worked in São Paulo, Erexim and Cascavel as mission and vocation promoter.  He worked on a team and visited schools and parishes where he spoke about the vocation of a Coadjutor Brother.  Many young people entered our seminaries thanks to his efforts.  His many letters to Regional Superiors during this time describe his travels and provide abundant evidence of the enormous amount of work he did with devotion, passion and enthusiasm.  On April 26, 1986, Father Giovanni Zinni, the Regional Superior, wrote to him:  “I can only admire and wonder at your continual travels throughout Paraná and praise the dedication which,  as you write,  God rewards with good health.  Is it possible that all this work will not produce vocations?  I don’t think so!”

While back in Italy for a vacation in 1992 he went into the hospital for an operation on his knee.  This was not the first such operation and his knee had given him a lot of trouble in the past.  He wrote to Father Luigi Morgano, the Regional Superior, “Yesterday I went to the Consolata Sanctuary.  I prayed for our whole Region and all its problems.  I asked Our Lady to help us in our spiritual renewal that we may become ever more men of God – otherwise our work will fail.  Undoubtedly if we hope to obtain the blessings of God,  Our Lady and our Founder we will have to return to a more authentic lifestyle – less outward activity and more intense interior life.  I believe this will lead to more vocations and greater perseverance among those who join us.  For this intention I offer my forthcoming surgery, my doubts and sufferings to God.”

In 1995 he returned to Roraima and worked initially at  Catrimani,  a frontier mission among the Yanomami Indians.  He later returned to the arts and crafts school at Calungá (1997-2002).  At the time the school was going through difficult financial straits and was in danger of closing.  Brother Antonio would not let this happen – as he wrote, “I played my last card and made contact with former students who were now deputies in the State Assembly or held important government positions.  I explained the precarious situation of their former school and the danger of its closing.  Response was immediate -–especially from the ‘First Lady’, the governor’s wife.  She had always been sympathetic to our school as had Francisco Guerra, a Deputy, and former alumnus who had been so handy in the machine shop years ago.

“Guerra drew up a plan to present to the Assembly of Deputies.  It would make our school a ‘public utility’  and would guarantee state support.  On the eve of the Assembly debate I visited several deputies – including the President of the Chamber – and explained what our school was accomplishing.  In the Chamber a speaker described the plan and spoke about the wonderful achievements of our school.  Five other deputies – all former students of the school – spoke during the debate.  I was extremely nervous – the future of our school was in the balance.  I prayed to Our Lady, the Consolata – in the long run it was her work.  The final result came as a surprise:  out of fifteen deputies voting, fifteen voted in favor of the plan.  Everyone praised the work the school was accomplishing.”  Brother Antonio had won his battle.  It was a battle of charity conducted with intelligence and passion.  He entrusted the whole project to Our Lady, the Consolata,  whom he loved with filial devotion.

Years went by and the time of trial began.  He developed a tumor and had to leave his beloved Indians.  On June 8, 2003, he came to Alpignano.  On June 18 he entered the hospital at Rivoli and died on the 27^th, the Feast of the Sacred Heart.  He was 72 years old, a professed religious for 50 years and in the missions for 35.

His funeral was held on July 3.  Msgr. Aldo Mongiano presided and Fathers Silvano Cacciari, Giuseppe Mina and Luciano Stefanini spoke.

Three stars shine on the Consolata’s mantle and three stars shone in Brother Antonio’s spiritual life:  he promoted the liturgy, the apostolate and vocations as he traveled from parish to parish in Brazil seeking out vocations and seeing to the needs of the Roraima community.

He was a great teacher and vocational instructor at the newly established Coadjutor training center in Alpignano and at the Calungá professional school in Roraima which won government recognition.

Brother Antonio was above all a dedicated missionary.  He loved our Institute,  was an exemplary religious who bore his suffering heroically and never flagged in his efforts to communicate with the Yanomami.

When he was forced to return to Italy he accepted his operations and imminent death with serenity.  In spite of all the specialized attention at the Koelliker Hospital his life came to an end.

Relatives and fellow Consolata missionaries from Palosco and nearby houses were present at his funeral.

Father Giuseppe Villa

and the Editorial Staff of Da Casa Madre

After the funeral in Alpignano his body was taken to Palosco his home village where it was laid out in the parish church so that local people could come and pay their respects.  On July 4 the Pastor celebrated a solemn funeral at 6 PM.  Father Franco Gioda, the Regional Superior, fathers from the houses in Milan and Bedizzole, diocesan priests from his Palosco, Consolata Sisters and many of the faithful were present.

The Pastor Emeritus, don Alfonso, gave a long homily.  He had known Brother Antonio well and recounted many anecdotes.  The Mayor spoke and thanked Brother Antonio for his help in several civic projects.

Brother Antonio was buried in the priests’ mausoleum in the village cemetery.

An Empty Place

Brother Antonio Costardi has left us forever.  He left on the morning of Friday, June 27 – the day the Church celebrates the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Bedridden and silent for several days in the hospital  he concluded a long life spent serving God and his fellow man. 

We remember him as he was several months ago when he celebrated his fiftieth anniversary as a Consolata Missionary.  Sickness had already reared its head.  He underwent surgery and it looked like everything was going to be all right.  Ordinarily he was brimming with ideas and energy and now he was forced to stand still, to postpone his projects and wait (impatiently) for his doctors’ okay.  He lay dreaming about Brazil and about the school he had revived for his “Indios.”

He wasn’t at all resigned to remaining in Italy, he could not conceive of never seeing Brazil again.  He lived for this – he was a missionary through and through.  He was not a priest, but as we used to say, “simply a brother.”

He inherited his strong and native faith from his family and from the atmosphere of his native village.  It drew life from the words and examples of his village priests.  Once he left for Brazil his innate generosity found an outlet.  He was ready to perform whatever task was assigned to him and the tasks were often difficult:  mission promotion in parishes and schools,  teaching primitive groups of Indians in the Amazon jungle.  Even after the age of seventy he was not ready for retirement; his head was full of plans and projects for the future.  He thought of sickness as a brief parenthesis …

I saw him two days before he died in the unbearable heat of this awful summer.  He greeted me with a ready smile and I thought I would soon see him at home.  Instead …

Farewell, Antonio, brother and friend.  Generous and tenacious missionary.  You now rest in the arms of God – remember us.  And if possible find someone to take your place!

Father Giacomo Mazzotti