Subject: 'austraLasia' # 311
OLDEST SALESIAN MISSIONARY IN INDIA DIES
By C. M. Paul
CALCUTTA, 11th March -- Oldest Salesian missionary in India
died at Calcutta, 10th March. Fr. Joseph Dal Broi, hailing from
Possagno in the district of Treviso, Italy was 90 years and eight
months old. He was buried at the Bandel Basilica cemetery, 11th March.
His end came after a fatal fall at the Salesian Provincial House in
Calcutta, 14 February 2000, which broke his hip. Though the operation
at the premiere Woodlands Nursing Home was successful, complications
set in from an undetected stomach ulcer that turned vicious and
collapsed his body systems one by one over a period of three weeks.
74 YEARS MISSIONARY IN INDIA
Last of six siblings, Dal Broi entered the Salesian aspirantate at Ivrea
(Italy) in October 1925 and was admitted to the novitiate and reached
Shillong in November 1926. He made his perpetual profession on
29 January 1931 and was ordained priest by Salesian Bishop Stephen
Ferrando at St. Mary's chapel, Kurseong, 20 June 1936.
As a young priest he was sent to the mission of Tezpur, Assam,
where he worked for 15 years. In 1951 appointed novice master,
he guided the formation of two groups of novices. From 1953 to 58
he was the provincial secretary, first at the Catholic Orphan Press,
Calcutta and then at the newly opened Don Bosco School Park
Circus, to which the Provincial Office was shifted.
PARISH PRIEST AT CALCUTTA CATHEDRAL
In 1968 he was back at the Cathedral in Calcutta, this time as its parish
priest. From there he moved to the Marian Shrine at Bandel in 1971 as
Prior till 1983. He continued in Bandel as the confessor of the community
and the minor seminary. In August 1998 due to his failing health and the
need of more constant medical attention he was brought to the Provincial
House in Calcutta, where he remained till the day of his hospitalisation,
15 February 2000.
FAITHFUL PREACHER
"He loved to preach the word of God and was faithful to this priestly duty
till the very last Sunday he spent in the Provincial House," said Fr.
Francis
Allencherry, Provincial recalling his love for the Word of God.
"As a seminarian in 1931," the provincial recounted, "he was chosen
to give a sermon in Assamese at the annual Eucharistic procession
held in Guwahati. From then on he preached in Hindi, Khasi, Bengali,
and English."
CHAPLIAN TO KHASI COMMUNITY
When he was the parish priest of the Calcutta Cathedral and later
from Bandel he looked after the spiritual welfare of the small Khasi
community from Meghalaya in Calcutta, gathering them together for
Sunday Mass and other spiritual exercises. "This meant considerable
trouble for him, and yet he did it with zeal and dedication, true to his
motto "sitio animas" (I thirst for souls)," Fr. Provincial stated.
EDITOR OF CATHOLIC PUBICATIONS
He had a good mastery of English language and wrote articles for
newsletters and magazines. As the provincial secretary he also
doubled up as the editor of the magazine "Don Bosco in India".
Later he was also the editor of "Our Lady of Bandel". Through his
writings he sought to keep alive the memory of the pioneers and
apostles who had contributed to the building up of Indian missions.
FORMULA OF HOLINESS
"His formula of holiness consisted in the exact fulfillment of the rules
and faithfulness to the demands of pastoral ministry," Fr. Provincial said.
"He once told me," the provincial revealed, "he could not understand
why some confreres found it difficult to accept certain assignments."
Fr. Dal Broi gave a try to whatever was asked of him and put his best
into every task. He never shirked his duties or slackened in his
enthusiasm for the ministry. He dealt with everyone with gentleness
and respect," the provincial recalled. [END]
