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Fr. Giovanni Morando (1920-2006) PDF Print E-mail
Written by Fr Pietro Trabucco, IMC   
Friday, 18 May 2007
Fr. Giovanni Morando, IMC
1920-2006

Fr. Giovanni Morando is born on 17th February 1920 at Mango, Diocese of Alba, Province of Cuneo. Once finished his primary school, on 22nd October 1932 he joins the apostolic house of Favria, holding in his hand a quite positive letter by his Parish Priest and which ends with the following wish: “Giovanni Morando is a good boy and I hope and wish that he may also be in the future a good acquisition for the Institute and a good Missionary for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ”. We do not have any documentation showing the motivations for his choice.

The formative curriculum of the young Morando follows regularly in the various house which the Institute has in Northern Italy, without showing any particular difficulty, except for the inevitable inconveniences caused by the war. He goes through the various stages of his formation, aided by the appreciation of his educators who do not fail to underline some peculiar aspects: character of an artist; a person rich with energies and resources, even though he is slow in carrying out his duties and he loves to be by himself; he has a solid piety and a great enthusiasm for the mission.

He concludes his secondary school at Favria, moves on to Varallo to attend Lyceum which he will then terminate at Certosa. He spends his Novitiate at Uviglie and Montevecchia. Whereas he starts his Thelogy in Turin, then he continues his studies in Certosa and Varallo as an Assistant, and finally he concludes it at Uviglies where on 18th June 1944 he receives the Ordonation to the Priesthood by the hands of Mons. Giuseppe Angrisani, Bishop of Casale.

A life to form missionaries

His first assignment as a Priest is to the field of teaching at Varallo Sesia among the young people of the Lyceum. From Varallo to Portugal, in 1947, where his spends his youthful priestly energies in the first apostolic houses of that newly founded region. Writing to the Superior General, he repeatedly manifests his happiness for being able to cooperate in the field of formation, especially of the Brothers. He states that he gets along quite well with them. Nevertheless, in his abundant correspondence with his Superiors you can find periodical mentions of the missions: “Who knows that this may be the year for leaving for the missions? Keep me in mind for any assignment, to any place, anywhere, without fear, it seems to me that, with the grace of God, I will be able to do any work” (16th March 1956). Four years later, he repeats again to the Superior General his full availability to leave for a missionary place: “I believe that I can adjust to any work of the Institute, in whatever field and whatever activity of missionary service or of school both in Africa than in Europe or the Americas”. A few months later, instead of Africa, he is sent to the Certosa di Chiusa di Pesio to become the Assistant of the Novice Master.

What has been the relevance of his 13 years in Portugal for Fr. Morando? We can elicit from his own correspondence. First of all it is for him a good “school of mission”: the hard life of the beginnings, the few material means available for the management of the Seminaries and apostolic houses, the understanding of a new culture and the need of well learning the new language, Secondly, Portugal allows him to discover St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, while he was offering his pastoral services to the Carmelite Sisters. He considers his encounter with the Holy Patron of the Missions one of the most precious gifts given him by the Lord.

From being Assistant in Certosa he goes on to become Novice Master at Rosignano for one year and then for six more years in the new residence at Bedizzole. We read in one of his writings of August 1962: “When I received the news of my nomination to Novice Master, I did not show myself reluctant, perhaps due to my ignorance or lack of awareness! The Superiors can remove me from this task as soon as they will become aware of my incompetence and incapacity, or even when they will find a confrere more capable than I (which I believe not to be difficult)”.

His availability to the missions, quite a constant element of his whole life, springs up especially after the rather tumultuous time that follows the year 1968. In fact in 1969 Fr. Morando is being assigned to Portugal for one year, then recalled to Turin as Director of the Theological Seminary, and afterwards he is nominated Vice Regional Superior and Superior of the Regional House of Italy. In 1974 we find him in Brazil and again as Novice Master, while taking care of the small Christian community of Aparecida de S. Manuel. His experience in formation turns out to be quite hard for him on account of several reasons, among which he mentions in a special way the fact of not knowing sufficiently well the Brazilian culture and of not feeling any more young and therefore of being incapable of relating well to the youth. Besides he feels inadequate to deal with the experimentations which were increasingly done in those years, almost everywhere. Failing to share with the young his formative experience, based on a solid spirituality, obedience to the doctrine of the teachings of the Church and fidelity to the doctrine of the Founder, he asks to be allowed to devote himself to the simple pastoral work of the parishes.

In 1975, assigned as Assistant to the Parish Priest, Fr. Luigi Luise, in the mission of Cascavel, he can finally see his pastoral dream come true. But the following year he is elected Vice Superior of Fr. Corinno Sani and then also of Fr. Walmir Valle. Again in 1980 work in the field of formation come knocking at his door and he is first appointed Novice Master at Aparecida de San Manuel and then at Bucaramanga in Colombia. From the abundant correspondence he has with Regional Superior of Brazil, Fr. Morando let his preoccupation be known for the formation work entrusted to him while he hopes that a younger person may come, capable of handling the young Latin American novices.

In 1984 finally comes his African chance: he is sent to Mozambique and works as Assistant Parish Priest in the big parish of Machava, in the outskirt of Maputo. A few years later, having spent with great joy a sabbatical year in Israel, we find him in Kenya in 1988, having been requested by the Consolata Sisters for a service in the Diocese of Meru, first in Gitoro and then as chaplain of the Irene Center for blind girls in Munithu. He is comfortable and happy. But his work is not just for the Irene Center. He is also attentive of the pastoral needs of the Catholic people all around and he willingly volunteers his services to the people of the area. It suffices to remember his generous contribution to the Allamano Village. Destined again to give his service to the Novitiate at Sagana, during his regular holiday period in Italy, he is found with a serious health problem in his left vocal cord which it will require a surgical operation. This physical problem will affect him considerably during his life last phase, causing first hoarseness and then aphonia and complete loss of his voice. It will be his via crucis which he accepts as evident will of God in order to live his mission in a different way.

Two characteristics of his mission

Withdrawn into the house Of Blessed Allamano at Alpignano at the beginning of the year 2000, he emphasizes two aspects which have always been present in his life, but he now can live with greater intensity: intense prayer for the vocation, for the Institute and the mission, and the spreading of devotion to St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, Patron of the missions.

Self revealing is the answer that he sends to the Superior General who, on the occasion of the beatification of Allamano, has asked three questions to the missionaries (What are your feelings as the beatification Of Allamano draws closer? How do you view the Institute , considering yourself, the missionaries you know and the region in which you live? What do you think the Founder would tell us today?). Fr. Morando has thus the opportunity of putting in writing his “spiritual” creed which has always been present in his life. Among other things he states:
“I am truly happy to see our Allamano officially recognized as a holy priest and educator of priests and, for us his pupils, as prophet of the “Mission” in the universal Church…”;

“I think that the Institute, as willed and founded by Allamano, is a grace of God to urge the whole Church to live and act as “universal sacrament of salvation”.

“I believe that the Founder would go on telling and urging us regarding our specific and essential aim: the ‘sanctification of the infidels’… Our option should always be for the non Christians and the poorest among them”.

Therefore the Founder would tell us: ‘Be first saints and then missionaries’ in order to show us that we should have a deep spiritual formation, ascetic, mystical, and grounded on faith. Therefore he would say to us today, as in the Circular Letter No. 52: ‘read more’, ‘reflect more’, ‘pray more’”

Fr. G. Morando has written a lot on St. Theresa, but especially he was able to pass on to us the Saint’s doctrine and her “little way” to sanctity. May we just report some of his expressions from his abundant written production:
“We are not surprised that St. Francis Xavier is the Patron of Missionaries and of all Missions; he traveled through Asia because he wanted to give the name of Christ to the world. With the same apostolic zeal St. Theresa chose a cloistered life in order to embrace the world. Remarkable coincidence of life: our two Patrons lived 10 years in their mission. He in Asia and she in the Carmel: action and contemplation imbued with the same love to proclaim the Jesus Christ is the Savior”.

“St. Pious X, expert in holiness, while conversing with a missionary bishop, described her: ‘The greatest saint of modern time’, and Pious XI, on the occasion of her beatification (1923), exhorted the faithful: ‘Let us listen to what little Theresa wishes to tell us, she whoa has made herself word of God’”

We notice that even St. Theresa wanted to be an itinerant missionary, but she turned towards contemplative life because she used to say that one mission would have not been enough for her, she wanted them all. Such decision calls for a powerful act of faith in the efficacy of prayer, in the economy of salvation, project of the love of God who wants to save the world. God’s fatherly love is the true Archimedes’ point to lift, that is, to save the world”.

Fr. Giovanni Morando dies in the house Blessed Joseph Allamano at Alpignano on 10th October 2006 and rests in the cemetery at Alpignano. We wish to believe that from heaven, like St. Theresa, he will continue to shower his prayers and intercession on the Institute.

Fr Pietro Trabucco, IMC
Last Updated ( Thursday, 17 May 2007 )