1922-2003

Father Ersilio was born at Rivergaro (PC) the son of Enrico D’Errico and Anna Tagliaferri in 1922 and entered the Institute in 1942.  He came from the Seminary in Piacenza where he had completed his classical studies.  In 1941 he wrote to Father Sandrone, the Vice-Superior General, and told him about the struggle he had with his parents – he was an only son and they were reluctant to see him go off to the missions.  He prayed fervently to Mary  Immaculate for help in this struggle.  His enthusiasm was hard to match.  He looked on a meeting with Father Merlo Pich in Gambettola as providential – it awakened his interest in the missions.  He thanked Father Merlo for the copy of Missioni Consolata and sent an offering for back issues of the magazine and for the Missionary Almanac.  This made him “feel closer in spirit to the family that – God willing – would soon be his  and allowed him to learn more about Consolata missionary work.”

He made his religious profession consecrating himself to the Lord in 1943 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1947.  He was appointed “prefect” in the seminary at Montevecchia – a job he found difficult and for which he had no natural aptitude.  In 1951 he wrote to the Superior General saying he would “accept the will of God but had absolutely no desire for positions of authority or importance but rather wanted to work, and work hard…”

He had become a missionary so he could go off to the missions and preach the Gospel, but he soon discovered that God’s ways are not always our ways.  He remained in Europe for twenty-five years doing mission promotion.  From his days in the theological seminary his natural talents for mission and vocation promotion were apparent.  He carried out this work on a local level in Bevera (1952-1959) and then on a regional level in Italy (1960-1969) and Spain (1970-1973).

His contributions to mission promotion in Spain were especially important.  Thanks to him the area of publication received special attention.  Worthy of note were the Antena Misionera  notebooks which included a collection of Father Founder’s thoughts.  In 1972 he celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his ordination and on that occasion he pleaded with Father Mario Bianchi, the Superior General, to let him go off to the missions.  “One can trust good blood” his superior replied.  Father Bianchi praised his persistence and eagerness to go to the missions.  All the same it was a very difficult favor he was asking – he was a councilor, an administrator and the director of promotion in the Delegation.  His contributions were not just useful, they were indispensable.

In 1974 he finally got to Argentina but even there he was involved in mission promotion.  He was appointed head of the mission promotion team and in this capacity took part in the Regional Conference in March – one month after his arrival.  At the Conference he presented a plan for the complete reform of mission promotion – it was approved in toto.  At the time he wrote to Father Bianchi, “For my part I am usually at Chaco or Formosa and I have agreed to be part of mission promotion once again out of love for our community.” As director of mission promotion he developed Misiones Consolata of which he was sole editor and publisher.  The periodical was twenty-five years old in 1974 and Father Ersilio celebrated the occasion in great style;  he revised the layout and increased circulation significantly.

Two years later he was called back to Italy to become the Director of the General Office of Mission Promotion in charge of the vocation section (1976-1979).  This call to Rome was clear recognition of his experience and talent in the area of mission promotion.  He devoted himself to a very difficult task.  He had to start from scratch without personnel, money or effective power but was tireless in his efforts to create a modern and effective organization for mission promotion in the various regions.  Because of him the Institute realized how important it was to use the media for this work, especially the audiovisual media. 

During the meeting of General Offices in Turin (February 12-14, 1976) he presented his ideas and proposals:  establish an office to study mission and vocation problems as a priority;  support and assist personnel, activities and the organization of mission promotion in Regions, Delegations and groups; introduce concrete projects to create a strong spirituality as the basis of all mission and vocation promotion.

For Father D’Errico mission promotion was not a question of theory:  to be effective there had to be real, concrete methods to present its message and make it comprehensible.  He proposed creating a Center for Study and Documentation in Turin that could house the Institute’s photographic/ethnographical material and documentation from the Motherhouse and the Regions in one place.

In 1977 he established “TELEXAM” the newsletter of the General Directorate of Mission Promotion.  It consisted of eight mimeographed pages to inform everyone of what was happening in mission and vocation promotion throughout the Institute.  Father D’Errico believed this small endeavor would be genuinely helpful to mission promoters in various regions.

Also in 1977 he established the IMC Missionary Center at the General House.  It would serve the local Church.  The Center consisted of  a  large hall (cinema), museum, conference room, mission library, a permanent display and shop for Third World handicraft.

In 1978 Father D’Errico’s office carried out an extensive study based on a survey of all the regions.  The study was devoted to the problem of vocation promotion;  it tried to clarify what kind of missionary we had in mind;  what was the nature of our involvement with the local church;  how we should explain our vocation to someone interested in becoming a missionary.  He  began to have health problems and could no longer shoulder all these responsibilities.  In 1979 he returned to Argentina where he was put in charge of  Caritas relief work in Pirané and later served as secretary of the episcopal mission committee.

In 1984 he returned to Italy and continued to work in mission promotion initially in Milan and later in Turin where he was in charge of  the CAM Office of Information and Documentation.  His crowning achievement in mission promotion was the publication of “Sulle vie dei popoli” an atlas that described and explained Consolata mission development throughout the world. 

He concluded his apostolate as the Rector of the Sanctuary of Madonna del Monte in Rovereto (1995-1997) and then in the Motherhouse in Turin as the Rector of the Founder’s Church which through his efforts became the Shrine of Blessed Allamano (1997-2001).

After two operations he retired to Alpignano on December 7, 2001.  After a third operation on February 7, 2002, he began the slow decline that eventually took him to Our Father’s house on April 10, 2003. 

At his funeral, Father Franco Gioda, the Regional Superior, described his life and emphasized three aspects:  his love of the missions, his love of Our Lady, the Consolata, and his love of life – he was ever optimistic.  Father Antonio Merigo read Father General’s message that defined Father D’Errico as “missionary leaven.”  Father Giuseppe Bargetto said “he encouraged our missionary work with his cry from the trenches – ‘come out of your holes!’”  Signor Lupo:  “His smile was always a source for encouragement for our missionary group.” 

The Funeral was held on Saturday, April 12.  Father Giano Benedetti, General Councilor, along with many of our missionaries and numerous acquaintances attended the service.

His remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at Alpignano.

Father Giuseppe Villa

and the Editorial Staff of Da Casa Madre

Promotion Expert

Among the many missionaries I have met over the years, Father D’Errico was certainly one of the best for a variety of reasons.  Not the least of which was his extraordinary calm and ever present smile.  His smile might be questioning or ironic – but it was always kind.

I was close to him during our time at the Motherhouse when my own health was poor.  He had returned from Argentina in 1984 and was working in the hospitality office.  I was one of his clients and he was always quick to help and encourage me.  He was intelligent, a brilliant speaker, brimming with the care and energy of  a genuine father.  His intense dedication to the work given him by the Argentine Bishops was apparent whenever he spoke about his service with the Pontifical Missionary Works in Argentina.

He had the passion of a pioneer.  His accounts of speedy, nighttime journeys were always amusing!  Meeting people of all sorts, laying out far-reaching plans constituted a first-rate missionary adventure.

He entered the Consolata Missionaries from the seminary in Piacenza and sometimes made racy comparisons between the two seminaries.  It sometimes  seemed to him that our seminary was not sufficiently enthusiastic about the missions and this caused him pain.  D’Errico became what everyone would soon call him a  “Mission Promotion Expert.”

The Superior General Father Piero Trabucco’s message read during the crowded funeral Mass reinforced this idea.  Father Franco Gioda, the Regional Superior, said the same thing even more forcefully, “He was an expert at  promoting  the Consolata Institute!”  Father Antonio Merigo, the local Superior who had lived with him in Argentina echoed his words and  Father Giordano Rigamonti:  “Father D’Errico was a constant source of encouragement in all our missionary work and did much to promote our mission exhibitions.”

“… Call no man Master!”

The Gospel is unambiguous:  Jesus Christ alone is Master.  But at a time that workers for the harvest are few and we seek new ways of recruiting them, should we not thank the Lord for having given us an expert in our own household - Father  Ersilio D’Errico?  His words and example have so much to teach us.

Father Giuseppe Mina