Father Luigi was born in Borgosesia (VC) on May 27, 1932, the son of Felice and Clorinda Brusetti. He entered the Institute in 1943 and completed his secondary school studies in the near-by seminary in Varallo Sesia.
He made his religious profession in 1953 and was ordained to the priesthood on March 14, 1959.
He was immediately sent to Colombia where he worked as an assistant and a teacher in the minor seminary in Galán (Bogotá). Along with the other priest teachers he spent his weekends doing supply work in the missions of Maddalena Medio (Cambao, Guataquí, Nariño, etc.)
In 1961 he went to Tocaima where he held the position of Vicar Cooperator. In 1964 he was the administrator of a new minor seminary under construction in Manizales. Six years later in 1970 he was appointed the Pastor of San Felix and the rector of the parish college. Four years later he went back to Tocaima to be the Parochial Vicar. In 1977 he began working in the Regional House in Bogotá.
In 1978 he was sent to Bucaramanga to be the Parochial Vicar, the Rector of Collegio Colombo-Italiano, and the director of a chapel in Barrio Bucaramanga (today this is a parish). Ten years later in 1988 he returned to Bogotá to work in the administration.
In early 2001 he was assigned to Manizales where he was the Parochial Vicar at the Fatima Sanctuary. He spent his summer vacation in Italy and returned to Manizales in July refreshed and healthy. He devoted special care to the chapel of daily adoration near the Sanctuary entrance.
I saw him at the beginning of August and asked him how he felt. "Very well," he answered, "why shouldn't I feel well being so close to Our Lady?" Apparently he had always hoped to end his days at the Sanctuary. It is unlikely that he had any idea that the Lord would end his days on August 12 while he explained the Gospel to people at eleven o'clock that morning. The Gospel of that day spoke about Christian watchfulness - the message was addressed directly to him.
He celebrated the children's Mass at 9:00 AM, which as always was a festive event. The day was sunny and pleasantly warm - the sort of day that makes one feel happy and cheerful. He had the 11:00 AM Mass as well. This second Mass began in the normal fashion. During the homily is voice seemed a bit strange, high, but no one realized what was about to happen. After the homily he received the Offertory gifts and went back to the altar to start the Offertory. At that point he fainted. The acolytes helped him to a chair. People in the congregation became aware that something serious was happening. One of them was a taxi-driver. He offered to take Father to the nearest hospital.
The doctors quickly realized that he was suffering a cerebral hemorrhage at the base of his brain. It took some time to understand exactly what was happening. There was some slight hope when he began to move his fingers and a leg during the afternoon - but this hope did not last. On Monday morning all indications of recovery disappeared. The doctors said surgery would be of no use at this point, Father Luigi was in God's hands. At 11:00 PM that night all vital signs disappeared and he was pronounced dead.
The media spread the news of his death throughout the city. The Manizales newspaper "La Patria" made the following announcement: "Father Luigi Tagini's wish to die at Our Lady's feet was granted. He was a member of the Consolata Missionary Community that tends the Fatima Sanctuary. This priest of Italian origin died Monday night in La Presentacion Clinic where he had been taken after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage during the eleven o'clock Mass on Sunday."
Early on Tuesday morning, the 14th, his body was brought back to the Fatima Sanctuary for his wake. The Sanctuary remained open until midnight to allow people to come and pray for Father. In the short time he had worked at the Sanctuary he had won the respect and affection of everybody. Young people, children, adults, priests, religious and prayer groups from neighboring parishes came to recommend our Father Luigi to the Lord's mercy.
A solemn funeral was held on August 15. Since it was the feast of the Assumption the Sanctuary was filled with an enormous number of people from the early hours of the morning. Mass began at noon and was concelebrated by some forty priests (Consolata Missionaries from Bogotà, Bucaramanga, Medellin, Marialabaja, Manizales, diocesan and other religious priests from the city). The Archbishop, Msgr. Fabio Betancur Tirado, presided. Out of respect for our community he had come to visit Father Luigi's body on the night before the funeral. During his homily he stressed the parallel between the feast of the Assumption and the funeral we were holding - both were a celebration of life and a victory over death.
The Archbishop pointed out something everyone had already noted: Father Luigi died on the thirteenth - the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, and was buried on the fifteenth - the feast of the Assumption. The Archbishop thanked the Consolata Missionaries for the presence and work in his diocese since their arrival at San Felix.
After the funeral Father Luigi was buried in the "San Esteban" Central Cemetery of Manizales in the section reserved for priests. The Archdiocesan Chancery donated his tomb.
Father Claudio Brualdi