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Father Giuseppe Bottacin (1914-2006) Print E-mail
Written by Various   
Monday, 23 October 2006
Father Giuseppe was born on December 9, 1914 in Trebaseleghe (Treviso) the son of Biagio Antonio Bottacin and Regina Vanzetto. He entered the Congregation in 1927; he made his religious profession in 1934 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1938. He worked for a few years in Italy as an Assistant at Montevecchia, pro-director at Rovereto and in the Consolata Office in Turin.
In 1946 he left for Mozambique along with our confrères Paleari, Maggiore, Peressini and Br. Rota. They arrived at Lourenço Marques, the capital, and were commissioned by Cardinal Dom Teodósio de Gouveia to work as missionaries in Central Mozambique (the present diocese of Inhambane but then part of the diocese of Lourenço Marques). It was a territory of 53,910 square km with some 125,297 inhabitants. It comprised three areas where missions would be established: Massinga, Vilanculos and Goruro (Mambone).
Father Bottacin was assigned to Mambone. Along with Father Peressini and under the leadership of Father Tolosano they established the mission of New Mambone. The arrived there on the eve of Pentecost after a very long journey (900 km in a truck) that lasted several days. “The following day was the Feast of Pentecost and we celebrated Mass for the first time in the school chapel near Mambone. There could be no better day for beginning our mission among these people – practically all of whom were pagans. I celebrated with great emotion thinking of the first Pentecost when the apostles received the Holy Spirit which transformed them completely. The Spirit made them able, strong and fearless in their conquest of souls. We felt the same emotion; we received the abundant gifts of the Spirit who was sending us out to conquer this pagan people.”
Father Giuseppe spoke about his first converts: “they recited the rosary so devoutly that I was moved. I recognized the goodness of these poor black people who wanted to know and love God … On the 14th I had the good fortune to administer baptism for the first time in the missions: it was an elderly man, over 80, who was dying. Two days later he was dead. What joy and consolation I experienced in my first days in Africa. I gave the old man a Christian burial and accompanied his body to the appoint cemetery.” (Letter to Father Sandrone, Vice-superior General, June 19, 1946).
A few months later (November 9, 1946) he described their temporary accomodation to Father Sandrone – they lived in shacks while the mission was being built. Their missionary apostolate moved forward. “I am happy because my day is filled with work. Very Reverend Father Tolosano manages everything very well and we are learning how to be missionaries day by day. For some weeks now we have been visiting native villages, gathering the people together, teaching catechism right there because they cannot come to the mission school. Initially they are very timid about coming to the mission. There are all sorts of problems but this does not stop our work. The grace of the Lord is with us and we will no doubt win out in the end … Every day I pray that these newly founded missions will grow and the people entrusted to us by God will find their way to the true faith in Christ.”
The following year Father Giuseppe became the superior of the mission. In December 1947 he wrote to Father Sandrone about his work: catechism in the villages, first communions, solemn celebrations, preparations for building the mission. He is full of optimism – an enthusiastic missionary eager to work.
But there are setbacks too. A few months later – the night of March 21-22, 1948, a hurricane that lasted ten hours brought destruction and death to the whole region. “If we are still alive it is thanks to the goodness of God. Our small, provisional residence resisted up to the end a wind so strong it uprooted trees, lifted roofs off the houses in Mambone and destroyed the huts of the blacks. There were many victims. Only a balcony fell from our house. But the place was flooded and books and other items were ruined. Poor us! What a disaster! The other huts we had just built were destroyed: the chapel, the school, the workshop, the storage shed, the garage, the kitchen, the teachers’ house, the workers’ shelter … everything is in ruins and all our possessions are ruined. I can’t begin to tell you what we went through in those days immediately after the disaster. We did not lose courage, however, and the Lord gave us the strength to bear everything with resignation. We immediately set to work rebuilding. Providence will certainly provide the means we need to continue our apostolic work among these poor natives who have suffered so much.” (Letter to Father Sandrone, June 9, 1948).
In 1951 poor health forced him to return to Italy and until 1966 he was the confessor at both Rosignano Monferrato and Alpignano. He was then assigned to Portugal where he worked as spiritual father and confessor at Vila Nova de Poiares and then later at Fatima.
He died in Fatima as he had desired, on January 15, 2006. His transition to new life was peaceful. After dinner as he was preparing for a nap he felt unwell and had difficulty breathing. His superior came to his immediate aid but he raised his eyes to heaven and died.
He was a genial figure with white hair and beard – always smiling and hospitable. Father Bottacin radiated kindness and peace. His principal traits were openness, prayer and the gift of consolation. He welcomed and listened to all who approached and told him their troubles. He would bless them and give sage advice. He was known affectionately as “the saint” or “Zézinho”. He had a word of encouragement for everyone. Everyone who met him walked away with a smile.
He was 91 years old last December 9. Father Manuel Carreira tells us “that day was an enormous feast with so many messages, cards and telephone calls. Father Giuseppe in his wheelchair smiled, blessed and thanked everyone. He recited rosaries all day long and wore out the beads on his own rosary. Ave Maria! Santa Maria! He prayed for everyone. I – and many others – would leave him little notes telling who had called and would he say a Hail Mary for them. “Yes, yes, I will pray, I will pray.” He was like our Father Founder who promised to do so much from heaven.
Father Bottacin’s body was waked in the chapel of our house in Fatima. Many friends and acquaintances came to pay their respects to this missionary who was so well known and so sought after.
The funeral took place on Tuesday, January 17 at 11 AM. Dom Serafim Ferreira e Silva, the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, presided at the service. He recalled the ministry of consolation Father Bottacin had performed throughout his long life. Dom João Alves (Bishop emeritus of Coimbra) and Dom August César (Bishop emeritus of Portalegre-Castelo Branco) concelebrated along with seventy priests. Father Bottacin was laid to rest in the cemetery in Fatima.

Father Elísio Assunção
And the editors of Da Casa Madre



TESTIMONIALS

The end of a long day
Father Giuseppe Bottacin left us in the middle of the month, January 15. Considering his age we could say that his meeting with the Father was overdue. He was 91 years old. But if we look at things from a human perspective we mourn the loss of this great missionary whom we were accustomed to see at our side.
He arrived in Portugal in 1966. Because of the many years he lived here and the affection he had for the Portuguese people one could say this was his second fatherland. He worked for several years in the Consolata seminary in Vila Nova de Poiares as a professor and spiritual director; he was a great friend to the parish priests of that area in diocese of Coimbra; his pastoral work extended to parishes in the diocese of Guarda, north of Serra da Estrela. He rode his motorcycle and was a well-known figure in the area with his white hair and missionary beard.

At Fatima
He was then transferred to Fatima with the same assignment as in Poiares: professor and spiritual director of the seminarians. Here too he did not confine his activity to the seminary. He went out to the parishes and chapels of the area doing mission promotion and pastoral work in support of local priests and to the benefit of the faithful: Fatima, Santa Catarina da Serra, Atouguia, Ourém and other places. Over the years he took on the chaplaincies of Chainça, Boleiros and finally the sanctuary of Ortiga where he worked for fifteen years.
Ortiga and its ancient shrine were so to speak the apple of his eyes. Only when he could no longer take care of this job did he ask for someone to take his place. Father Bottacin is still remembered and respected by those who frequent the shrine and who benefited from his apostolic work. Father Giuseppe for many years did valuable work as a confessor in Fatima.

Charism of Consolation
Throughout his whole life he lived the charism of consolation intensely. It was part of the teaching of Blessed Joseph Allamano. A large network of people needing spiritual, human and psychological support formed around him. It was in these circumstances that his gift for consolation became apparent. There are thousands of individuals who were directly or indirectly affected by Father Giuseppe’s spiritual ministry. This made him one of the most well-known Consolata missionaries in the country. It was not in vain that people sought out his blessings, prayers and exorcisms. People left his presence with a new face, a new smile, new hope and new strength to face life.
Now it is all over. Father Giuseppe Bottacin is dead. His help will now happen on another plane. We are sure that he will intercede with God on our behalf.

Confessor and spiritual director
As long as he was able he never missed the Leiria-Fatima diocesan clergy retreats that took place on the first Monday of the month. He was a point of reference for so many priests who still think of him with love and gratitude. He not only went to the clergy retreats, he was a regular confessor at the Fatima shrine for many years. He was the official confessor of many communities of nuns in Fatima and its environs. He was a student of Blessed Allamano who urged his missionaries to be saints – but not heavy-handed saints or poseurs. This is what Father Giuseppe’s holiness was like – it was not heavy-handed, it was not overbearing, rigid or inhumane. He never put on airs as if he were posing for a photograph. There was nothing like that in Father Giuseppe – he was entirely natural. It was a gift God had given him and that he used to do good.

A man of his times
He was always up-to-date on things that concerned the Church, the Congregation, religious life, liturgy, social conditions, politics and sports. He had a weakness for Sport. It was a vice he had contracted from a friend who lived in Seia. His friend promised him a piece of Serra cheese each time his team won. It was all in good fun but it was a genuine friendship.

His last months
Father Giuseppe had lost the ability to walk for several months and at the cost of much sacrifice he was confined to a wheelchair. He needed help to get to the chapel, the refectory, to visit with people, etc. but he never made much of his discomfort. He was always smiling and accepted whatever befell him as a gift of Providence. His health gradually deteriorated and we were concerned as we witnessed his decline. Those who saw him only rarely were much more aware of this deterioration than those of us who lived with him. On his 91st birthday his dearest friends were with him – bringing gifts and greetings. Unfortunately he was not as cheerful as he had been in the past. After that occasion he went into free fall until the end.

Father Manuel Carreira


He had a big smile
I was asked to help Father Giuseppe in the last months of his life – something I did willingly. It contributed greatly to my own spiritual growth. We didn’t speak much – he was always busy. As soon as he finished reciting one rosary he began another. Every afternoon after rising I would go to the Chapel of the Apparitions. Before going out I would always ask him, “Father Giuseppe do you have anything you want me to ask Our Lady at the chapel?” Even when he was feeling unwell his face would break into a big smile and he would say, “tell her I am doing my best to fulfill God’s will … give her my greetings.” I would say a Hail Mary for him. When I returned from the Chapel I told him I had done what he asked me to do and his face would once more break into a large smile.

Father Antonio Gaspar


Genuine missionary
Father Giuseppe was a true man of God and a genuine Consolata Missionary. He made consolation the heart of his apostolate. He welcomed all who sought him out with a sweet, sensitive smile and words of hope, faith and resignation to the Will of God. One could say of Father Giuseppe what was said about Barnabas in the Acts of the Apostles: “a good man full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” His presence inspired serenity, confidence and peace; his smile was a comfort. He was Simon of Cyrene: he helped other carry their cross with faith, hope and confidence in the love of the Lord and the protection of Our Lady. He was a priest and a missionary who lived out his vocation with joy; the Eucharist was the center of his priestly life. He celebrated Mass with devotion and love; he spent hours and hours in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. The Word of God, the Eucharist and devotion to Our Lady were the foundation of his spiritual life.
To anyone asking about his health he would reply: “the Will of God! God’s Will be done! Whatever God wills is the best for me.” His obedience to the Will of God marked not just his final years but his whole life from childhood. His life was a gift for the Church, the Congregation and all those who lived with him or sought him out. We have lost a great friend on earth – but I am confident that we have gained an intercessor in heaven. Personally I am enormously grateful to him for all the good things he did for me: both his example and his friendship. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the gift of Father Giuseppe.

Father Severo Rossi


A point of reference

With simplicity, generosity, faith and a love of the Church Father Giuseppe was a living example of a disciple of Jesus Christ. He was a point of reference for many Christians who found in him strength and encouragement in their problems. I will remember him with much nostalgia.

João Alves,
Bishop Emeritus of Coimbra


A sweet old man
All who like me lived with Father Giuseppe thought of him as a venerable and sweet old man. He never mistrusted people – he seemed at times downright gullible. He loved taking pictures of the seminarians. Or rather he would give them the photographs and he never lacked customers. One could joke with him and he was never annoyed. I remember when I worked in formation in the seminary at Abrantes not even the most rebellious seminarians had trouble accepting him as a confessor and spiritual director. For him everything was all right. And if something was not all right he would pray until it worked out. I later heard that he was laying on hands at Fatima – he had gained the reputation of being a saint.
When I returned from Brazil and came to Fatima he was already suffering from poor health. I was near him as the end approached and I realized that his reputation as a saint was well-founded. He accepted his sufferings with patience right up to the end. He was always full of hope and devoted to Our Lady. He had an enviable memory and was always well organized. He was well informed on Church affairs and soccer – especially when it came to Sporting! He had many friends.
He was a model of religious duty, a man of prayer. Even in his last days he recited so many rosaries that I was forced to tell him that praying too much wore him out. He didn’t respond but he kept up his rosaries right until the last day of his life. I know that he appreciated having me near him but he never paid me compliments nor was he upset when I made mistakes. If he corrected me it was as a co-worker. He was very reserved and dignified.

Father Mario Silva


He showed the world the face of God

What probably bothered Father Giuseppe most in his final days was his inability to minister to the people of God - this is why he had become a priest and a missionary: renewing the Sacrifice of the Cross at Mass, the Sacraments, the Gospel, Benediction. He could no longer imitate Christ’s public life physically. Now he was nailed to the Cross where human movement was severely limited but divine activity was salvific.
In 1946 Father Giuseppe spent time at Fatima to learn Portuguese and then he left for Mozambique. Later we saw him very much involved with people who needed the presence and peace of God. He loved this aspect of his life: to preach the word that gives life, to make people smile. In the last period of his life solitude had replaced his priestly and missionary activity – and this caused him pain. Living on memories is not what a priest or missionary does. His limited mobility was a prison in his final days. Father Giuseppe could only pray for others – and this he did with his whole heart. Even his characteristic cheerfulness had diminished. “When you are old,” Christ said to Peter, “others will lead you where you do not want to go!” Affectionate hands pushed the wheelchair in which he sat – all bent over – and took him to the chapel, the refectory, to his room. Others had to do what he would much rather have done for himself. Father Giuseppe had known and helped so many people who suffered. He had shared his faith and love, his ministry of consolation, with so many children of God during his life. Now through his suffering, solitude, prayer and silent adoration he was sharing in the passion of Christ. How many people received God’s blessings through Father Giuseppe! It was the command God gave Moses and Aaron. For Father Giuseppe giving the joy of God to others without giving them the God of Joy made no sense. His life was entirely priestly and religious; it was a crown he had received from the Lord, from Our Lady the Consolata and our Founder, Blessed Joseph Allamano. This was the life he led everywhere but especially here in Fatima. And this is how he left us: peacefully, without speeches or fireworks: a good and faithful servant, he has gone to the bosom of the Lord forever.

Father Aventino Oliveira
Last Updated ( Monday, 23 October 2006 )