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]