His family was poor and he had to leave school early to begin working as a carpenter. During those years his brother Manuel entered the Franciscan seminary and Francisco worked to pay his tuition.

He was one of the founders of the Youth Section of Catholic Action in his village. For him, Catholic Action was a school of human and spiritual formation, and it was there that his vocation was born. 

On August 12, 1944 he met Father Giovanni De Marchi and entered the Little Seminary of the Consolata at Fatima, which Father De Marchi had just founded. He was the third young man to enter the seminary. He completed his novitiate at Certosa di Pesio and made his religious profession on December 31, 1950. He then studied theology in Turin. 

In 1955 he was ordained to the priesthood and began working as a teacher and assistant at the house in Biadene in Italy. In 1960 he was sent to Mozambique where he was assistant pastor in the Matola Rio mission for five years.

He returned to Portugal and was pastor in Lisbon from 1965 to 1968. Subsequently he was superior/treasurer of the houses at Vila Nova (168-1974) and Fatima (1974-1978). From 1978 to 1979 he attended a formation course in Paris. 

Upon his return to Portugal he devoted himself to formation, animation and vocation promotion. He traveled through countless parishes in the north and center of the country preaching a commitment to the missions. 

He was a gifted orator and he used his gift well – preaching at hundreds of patronal feasts, conducting retreats and teaching young married couples the Better World Movement courses of “cristandade” and Sacred Scripture.

The Bible was his favorite book and his constant companion. In any discussion he always had an appropriate passage on the tip of his tongue. His preaching was basic: few flourishes and much doctrine: the Bible and the Council.

He was very much involved with the material side of any community in which he lived: he was often the administrator and frequently oversaw construction projects. He was an expert in carpentry, cabinet making and repairing machines and would frequently say “All my intelligence is in my hands.”

In 1996 at the age of 73 he left for Mozambique to be superior of the house at Beira and to help out at Lichinga.

He returned to Portugal for a vacation and to look after health problems; he spent the last months of his life at Fatima where he generously offered his services as a confessor at the Sanctuary. He was happy to do this. He was very devoted to Our Lady and it was common to see him, rosary in hand, going to the Chapel of the Apparitions for his evening prayers. 

On August 22, 2000, Father Francisco was taken to the university hospital at Coimbra for an operation. He had pancreatic cancer and nothing could be done – only a miracle could save him. His brother Manuel, the Franciscan, lived in Coimbra and was with him throughout his convalescence. Manuel gave our community daily reports on the progress of the sickness. 

On October 2 he was released from the hospital and returned to the community. His face was transformed with joy and he began to savor life once more – to the extent that sickness permitted. He joined the community for prayer, Eucharist and dinner. But his strength was disappearing and one day he could not get out of bed. He was cared for tenderly by all the members of the community. 

On January 3, 2001, he suffered a severe attack of diabetes and was taken to the hospital of Torres Novas. In spite of all that was done he did not survive the crisis – he gave his soul back to God at 10 PM on January 10. He died peacefully like a candle that gradually flickered out.

His funeral was celebrated in our seminary Chapel at Fatima on January 12. Dom Serafim Ferreira e Silva, the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima presided at the celebration. Sixty diocesan and religious priests (Consolata and Franciscans) concelebrated. Along with his family the Consolata Sisters and many other nuns were present for the ceremony. 

During the Funeral Mass, Father Luis Ribeiro Tomás, the Regional Superior, gave a brief account of Father Francisco’s life. His remains now rest in our chapel in the Fatima Cemetery.

Father Jaime Marques

and editorial staff of Da Casa Madre

Testimonials

HE WAS A GOOD RELIGIOUS

I knew Father Francisco Marques from the time the Consolata Missionaries opened the seminary

in Fatima. He was older than us and when he expressed his opinions on work or study, in the chapel or during recreation we took them very seriously. He never kept quiet when he thought it necessary to speak. He valued his time and when he thought conversations were neither helpful nor necessary he would break them off abruptly and go do something else. He once asked me to spend some time with him during the vacation. Every morning we would walk three kilometers to Mass, three kilometers back home, eat breakfast and then spend the day working in the fields. We watered and irrigated corn, beans, potatoes, etc.

Before entering the seminary he had been a carpenter. He was skillful and his work highly esteemed and durable. He really appreciated a well-crafted piece of work: everyone praised his tables, chairs, benches, windows and doors. The same thing can be said about his apostolic work in Portugal and in the missions – it deserved praise. 

As a religious he didn’t neglect his worldly responsibilities, but his main concern was his spiritual life. He would give up hours of rest to carry out his religious duties. He had a special, filial devotion to Our Lady.

I remember his first Mass. He was so happy that his face was radiant. In speaking to the people he made two commitments: his life as a priest would always reflect what he had promised; in his priestly and apostolic life he would be scrupulous in carrying out his commitments to people.

He made an effort to live in the spirit of permanent formation and loved taking courses. When he was unable to attend a particular course he would question those who had attended and try to learn everything that had transpired. He loved to read spiritual books and journals. 

He was a religious who knew how to live the consecrated life with intensity, joy courage and perseverance. Throughout his life he overcame difficulties and helped those in need. He was not insensitive to the sufferings of others and felt sympathy for those who were going through hard times. May the Lord give him his reward and help us to live as he lived – with faith and courage.

Bro. Albino Henriques

AS I LIKE TO REMEMBER HIM

I met Father Francisco casually on many occasions, usually when I was on vacation and visited his community. He always received me with great hospitality and lack of formality and immediately engaged me in conversation about theology, pastoral work or culture in general. I came to know this missionary and he made a vivid and favorable impression upon me – I had great respect for him.

A Man of Cultural Prowess

Father Francisco Marques lived in a state of continuous permanent formation: he had a thirst for knowledge and was eager to keep himself up to date. From the time he was a seminarian there were certain subjects that caught and continued to hold his interest, they guided and dominated his reading and even his choice of television programs. He followed the life of the Church in Portugal and the rest of the world closely.  He was the first to read the publications that arrived in the community where he sought out those subjects he found interesting (religion and theology) and would later discuss them with his confrères. He was frequently heard to complain that the house library was in disorder, not well supplied and not up to date.

A Man of Strong Convictions

Conversations with Father Francisco very soon became heated debates. He would reduce complex subjects to simple formulas which his hearers usually thought simplistic or naïve and before long they too were involved in the debate. 

He was a man of strong and deep convictions which he defended stubbornly. He was not , however, one of those entrenched conservatives who won’t concede an inch of territory to an opponent. He certainly wasn’t that sort of man and would be very unhappy to be considered that type of conservative. He surrendered only when he was intellectually and rationally convinced that his opponent was right. His goal was to reach the truth – this is why he read and studied.

He wasn’t fond of chat, frivolous conversations, world news or discussions of sport. He considered such things a waste of time.

A Man With a Message

He loved his priestly ministry and lived it fully. He was always available to take on the hardest jobs that others avoided. He handled novenas, home missions and sermons which his confrères were more than willing to forego. He made an effort to impart “solid doctrine” in all these activities – he would explain the truth and combat error. People’s general ignorance of the faith apparent in their customs and traditions made him sad – he did what he could to correct this situation. His zeal caused him problems with certain liturgical communities. He wanted to see things change. His willingness to engage in pastoral work made a strong impression on parish priests and they frequently asked him for assistance. The presence of so many parish priests at his funeral was a testimony to the esteem and appreciation they felt for Father Francisco’s work as a priest.

A Man With a Mission

He spent his first years as a missionary in Mozambique. But the greater part of his life was dedicated to mission and vocation promotion in Portugal. He was indefatigable in this work and his methods were often innovative. He will not be forgotten soon.

He recruited vocations for our seminaries and was eager to see that they were given a solid formation.

He so loved the missions that he offered to return to Mozambique at the age of 70. He so dedicated himself to work in the missions that he soon exhausted his resources and had to come home.

A Man of Poverty

In all the houses in which he lived he was always prudent and careful of expenses. Even when he was not responsible he took an active interest in community expenditures. 

He complained about things he saw as spendthrift, wasteful or luxurious. He suffered when he saw the community’s possessions wasted or neglected and he was very vocal in his complaints.

 Father Francisco had been a carpenter before entering the Institute and he never completely abandoned his former craft. As a carpenter he had learned to seek perfection in works that were well done. When it was necessary to buy a cupboard, table or bench for the church he was always careful to take into consideration the price and usefulness of the object and not just its appearance. He was always watchful for ways to save money.

Father Francisco gave the impression of being a dissatisfied and restless person, always looking for something he could not find – perfection. I remember him with admiration and gratitude; he was a man of God and a great missionary.

Fr. Luís Tomás

A STRONG AND PRUDENT MAN

I knew Father Francisco Marques at Ermesinde shortly after my ordination to the priesthood. I was in charge of formation and Father Francisco was the Director of the house. I soon realized that he was very organized and demanding, a man of action and a genuine missionary.

Some members of the community thought him a hard man who acted harshly. But I always found him open to dialogue, a prudent advisor and willing to share his ideas and plans. Two years later he was assigned to other work and I became the Director of the house.

For twenty years we lived far apart – he worked in the mission in Mozambique and I was in Brazil. However we continued to write to each other, especially at the holidays.

When I left Brazil I was appointed the Director of the house at Fatima and I met Father Francisco again. He had returned from Mozambique in poor health. He tried to hide his many ailments in a whirlwind of pastoral work. He was still the same strong man he had always been but sickness was taking its toll.

I was near to him in the last months of his life and his will to live made a deep impression on me. He was determined to overcome his sickness. His died as he had lived. Only in the last days of his life would he allow himself to be cared for without complaining – and he demonstrated his iron will to live to the very end. Such men are not common.

I thank the Lord for his example. Frequently we wish we were different from what we are – and often we wish others were different from what they are. It would be unfair to ask Father Francisco to be other than what he was – especially different from the person he showed himself to be in the last and most painful phase of his life.

I am sure that God has heard my prayer on his behalf. May the gates of heaven open for him. I hope to receive help, courage and strength from heaven on my own journey to eternity.

Fr. Mário Alves da Silva