1922-2004

Father Giovanni was born the son of Basilio Berghi and Lucia Brunelli on December 24, 1922 in Dorsino (Trent). He entered the Congregation at Rovereto in 1933. He was a young man so in love with Our Lady that he dated his letter requesting admission November 29, 1943 – the first day of the novena of preparation for the feast of the Immaculate Conception. He explains, “I waited especially for this day; I want always to be under the protection of our dear Mother who directs our every step, even the least important towards the goal the Lord in his goodness has assigned us. We see the same concern in our venerable founder and all our superiors – his heirs in the spirit – to link every stage of our journey with the feasts of Our Lady. Associating the turning points of our lives with Mary our Mother can only intensify our joy – she is, after all, the Queen of our Congregation.”
His novitiate in Varallo Sesia concluded with religious profession in 1945. In 1948 he was ordained to the priesthood in Rosignano.
In 1949 Father Giovanni left for Tanzania where he would work as a missionary until 2003. He spent the first months at Ujewa. The remainder of his missionary apostolate falls into four periods: 1950 – 1967 he was vicar cooperator in Tosamaganga; then for ten years he was the pastor of Makalala. From 1978 to 1983 he was the parish priest in Ikonda. After a brief stay in Mgololo, he was the assistant pastor in Kipengere (1984-2003).
Father Berghi was a simple and humble man by temperament whose pastoral mentor was an expert: Father Olivo. Berghi wrote: “I do what I can day by day; I pray the Lord for enough moral and physical strength to avoid being an obstacle. I try not to take from others what I lack myself.” (Letter to Father General, December 11, 1953).
Time was good to him and on November 30, 1956 in a letter to the General he speaks of his work in the parish: baptisms, confirmations, marriages, school visits etc. At the end of this letter he writes: “We have a hand in everything – even the most disparate of activities, all for the glory of the Lord and the advancing of his kingdom. We aren’t happy to just muddle along; we pray constantly that the Lord grant success to the work begun in his name and entrusted to his care. May the Lord make up for all our shortcomings.”
He began to suffer the effects of a tumor in 2001 and underwent treatment while on vacation. He hoped to return to the missions as soon as possible. Noting that his earliest companions had already gone on to their reward he wrote to Father Inverardi: “There are still two of us filling the breach (Father Ferraroni and I) but how much longer? It is up to Providence – we can only persevere!” He had serious problems with his vocal chords and his treatment was dragging on. Seeing other confrères from Tanzania come and go he sometimes lost heart but he never gave up hope of being able to return to the missions. He didn’t know what he could do without a voice. In another letter to Father Inverardi (November 13, 2001) he wrote: “I take comfort in the thought that there is always something – however trivial – that I could do.”
In 2003 Father Berghi was sent home to Italy and retired to Alpignano where he died quietly in the middle of the night on December 28, 2004 without disturbing anyone. That same day Father General came to say a prayer. His funeral was held on December 29. Father Franco Gioda, the Regional Superior, presided at the celebration. Father Alessandro Di Martino’s homily described Father Berghi as a man of silence and wisdom, devoted to the apostolate who did not disdain physical labor.

At the end of the service a message from Father Inverardi, the Regional Superior of Tanzania, was read: “His spirit is still in Tanzania. We share his sentiments and feel he is still one of us. The sickness he endured in these last years crowned a life of generosity and success.
We all recall his simplicity, kindness, devotion and closeness to people as well as his zeal for the apostolate. He created fraternity through his humble and sincere collaboration with others. These character traits were the result of constant prayer and made him someone everyone wanted to be with. It was always a pleasure to talk to him and spend time in his company. He had a genuine fraternal and family spirit and was interested in everyone and everything.
This brief description can only indicate how much all of us in Tanzania loved him. I think I speak for all of us who knew and worked with him when I express the grief – we all feel at his passing. Everyone at Kipengere, the last place he lived among us, hoped he would return however briefly so that they could thank him and give him a proper send-off. This wasn’t possible.
We are grateful to him for his virtues and all those traits he displayed while living among us. We pray for him – certain he is with the Lord – for his rest, peace and reward.”

Father Olivo, his mentor and co-worker for so many years wrote: “We lived together for seventeen years and in all that time I never went to bed feeling resentment for anything Father Berghi had said or done. We had become “Siamese twins.” We talked and planned together and neither of us did anything without informing the other. We still have happy memories of those years we spent together.” This is an outstanding testimonial to fraternity and collaboration – just the sort of thing Blessed Allamano taught us.
Father Berghi was laid to rest in the cemetery in Dorsino, his hometown.
Editors of Da Casa Madre


TESTIMONIAL

One could read Father Giovanni Berghi’s whole life in his face. He was one who never sought to be the center of attention, the man in charge – but a living contributing member of the community.
If the only measure of a missionary were his interior life, his optimism and his accomplishments there would be little to say about Father Berghi. But this not the case. If we were to apply the same criteria to St. Thérèse of Lisieux we would reach the same conclusion – and yet that Carmelite nun, closed up in her convent is the Patron Saint of the Missions.
We must look at Father Berghi in the same way. He worked at several missions in Iringa: Ujewa, Tosamaganga, Watalala, Kipengere. Everywhere he followed the same pattern of individual and group apostolic work. He never left his place of work. If one wanted to see him one had to go to his mission. If he was not away visiting the sick or teaching he would invariably be found in the mission office talking to someone or in church for services.
He was not a taciturn individual nor an introvert. He was happy to meet his confrères and chatted willingly with them. He was interested in the news and what was going on – but if the conversation turned to criticism he would start looking out the window. He enjoyed hearing about events in other missions and was happy to talk about his own experiences. He was eager to emulate the gifts of others but would then return to his own personal experience of the apostolate and it is this that gave direction to his spiritual life. His openness to everyone was a great advantage that made him available and welcoming to all who approached him.
I feel I am intruding or opening the door of a cupboard filled with and extraordinary interior life. He was not averse to getting involved in every day work. I remember him drawing up construction plans and overseeing building activities – for example the church at Wasu.
His spiritual intensity shone through all he did in the parish office, the confessional and at the altar. His voice may have been weak but his homilies in correct and precise Kiswahili were persuasive and captured the attention of all who heard him. He never indulged in oratorical devices; he was neither reproachful nor judgmental. His sermons were always the simple and clear expression of God’s word and indications of the path we were to follow.
The secret of his apostolate? St. Augustine says “Zelus charitas est” [Zeal is charity]. He who loves is zealous; our Blessed Founder commented – he who is not zealous does not love.
Father Berghi loved his people but was never paternalistic. He made it clear that he was in the missions for the Africans. With simplicity, sincerity, contancy and the patience of a sower he was certain of the harvest. He imposed no premature deadlines or tried to reap what was not yet ready. Growth and success were in God’s hands.
This same confident expectation should nourish our faith – we who have worked long in the Lord’s vineyard. May Father Berghi’s quiet but intense missionary spirit help all of us.
Father Alessandro Di Martino