FATHER SEVERINO BORDIGNON

1940 – 2006

Father Severino was born on August 5, 1940 at Rosà (Vercelli – Italy) the son of Luigi Bordignon and Anna Parolin. He entered our Congregation at the age of 18 in 1958 – previously he had worked as a printer. In 1964 he made his religious profession and in 1969 he was ordained to the priesthood. He was assigned to work in Mozambique but went first to Portugal for a year to learn the language. While there he was an assistant in the Ermesinde seminary.

He worked in Mozambique until 1979 as a parish vicar and pastor in Mepanhira (1971-73), Nipepe (1973), Esperança (1973-78) and Liginga (1979).

In November 1976 he wrote to Father Mario Bianchi to describe the situation of missionaries under the FRELIMO regime: difficulty and sacrifice, these are “two constants in our daily life; they help us grow and make us aware of the calling we have received. Thought, fear, meditation and courage alternate during our work; we begin each day with prayer and trust in God.”

The killing of a Capuchin missionary led him to place his trust in God. He was enthusiastic about the chapel in Nova Beira that he was building with the help of local Christians. “These are times of great joy for us: working together for a common goal that overcomes today’s fashionable materialism and skepticism.” With pastoral farsightedness he worked with other missionaries to build a mature and self-supporting Church that could face any future storm. “New methods of local pastoral work were devised: we delegated ministries to people chosen from the community.”

The next year in a letter to Father Tavares, Vice-Superior General he admitted that he was secretly assisting thirty students: “it is not enough to help polio victims, blind people and lepers – the very worst leprosy is ignorance.” To proclaim the Good News to the poor, he added, “we must have cultured people in our ranks.” (June 20, 1977).

In November 1978 he was arrested by FRELIMO agents and spent two months in prison accused of “subversion” because he had preached the Gospel in his parish community at Esperança.

In a letter smuggled from prison (November 12, 1978) he wrote: “Today is Sunday – the first Sunday of my priesthood without celebrating Mass. This is very painful for me. I remember all of you when I pray or recite the Breviary. God is great! None of you should be sad for me. I am fine, cheerful, happy. Who knows? Maybe everyone should have this experience. I beg you not to worry or fear for me. This is an experience that will do us good – so often we preach to others without having endured their sufferings.”

A few days later he wrote: “It is now three weeks that I have been in prison: it is a time of learning, a useful and marvelous experience for a priest … Questioning, probing, humiliation, fearful verbal abuse and disrespect: ’You say God is a Father why don’t you ask him to get you out of prison now that you are suffering?’ My answer: ‘I have not asked nor will I ask any such thing – God knows what he is doing.’ …I don’t know what will become of me … I am serene and I wait. I have no resentment towards anyone.” (November 27, 1978)

This experience affected him profoundly – he speaks about it with feeling in his diary. There is an account of celebrating Mass in his cell: “a glass, a white handkerchief, a little wine and a host: my cot was the altar. And there was God on the altar with all my questions. While my companions were taking the air I was in my cell. I closed the door with string and celebrated my only Strength – the unforgettable Sacrifice. I spoke to God of all that was happening and asked him about his mysterious silence. I reminded him of my companions and prayed that children might grow up without ever knowing prisons.”

Christmas came: “and I wanted to celebrate Christmas in prison. On Christmas Eve there were groups here and there determined to see a happy Christmas. One of the St. Dorothy Sisters sent me a little statue of the Baby Jesus in a box – it caught the attention of my guards immediately. If you want it, I said, come tomorrow after I celebrate Mass – about 10 o’clock.

That night no one slept. Even the non-Christians were eager to celebrate Christmas. In the morning I began to prepare for Mass. I was closing the door to escape discovery when five or six men suddenly appeared. ‘We have come for the baby’, they said. ‘I told you to come after I had celebrated Mass.’ ‘No, we don’t want the baby. We heard yesterday that you were going to celebrate Mass. We are all Christians and that is why we are here.’ It was an unforgettable Eucharistic celebration. I am sure that had we but called out the Lord would have responded – as he did in the past – ‘Here am I in your midst.’ It was a beautiful Christmas in spite of everything.”

Father Severino Bordignon spent two months in prison. It was a trial that did not crush his missionary soul. He became a source of hope for his unfortunate cellmates. He was an example and publicly pardoned those Christians in his mission whose accusations had put him in prison. His accusers were themselves in prison for theft and corruption.

He was released on January 5, 1979 and put under house arrest in the diocese. On January 21, 1979 he wrote to his confrères in Italy about “an extraordinary experience … thanks to which I can proclaim the Gospel.” The logical consequence of his activity as a simple priest. In spite of all this he did not think of himself as a hero. He professed his faith in Jesus whose word brought freedom to him and to his friends.

On May 15 he was released from house arrest and returned shortly thereafter to Italy.

In 1981 he was re-assigned to Brazil where he did seminary and parish work in Três de Maio. From 1985 to 1992 he worked among young people in São Manuel parish. He continued doing parish work in Rio do Oeste until 1997 and then in São Marcos parish in São Paulo.

He developed a liver tumor and went to live in the Regional House so he could undergo medical treatment. At the same time he continued doing pastoral work in the diocese. He focused on the infirmary and took responsibility for the spiritual and material care of people with AIDS in the Casa Betania.

In March his health suddenly deteriorated. He was taken to the São Camilo hospital and on April 5, 2006 he left this earth.

His wake in São Marco church was attended by many. The following day Father Lírio Girardi, the Regional Superior, presided at his funeral. Some 15 confrères and several diocesan priests concelebrated. After the celebration many of the priests and people spoke with gratitude of his cheerfulness and good humor – he left a happy memory in the communities where he had worked.

Dario Paterno wrote: “Father Severino was celebrated in song, prayer and mourning … It was a farewell feast full of emotion. He departed knowing he had done his duty. For the many friends he left behind it was a time of sadness but there was also the joy of knowing his name was written in heaven. He went to the place that had been prepared for him – how beautiful the house Christ has prepared! He has celebrated his Easter.

Father Severino was laid to rest in the Consolata Missionary tomb in the Chora Menino cemetery in São Paulo.

Editors of Da Casa Madre