Introduction

It is strange the way in which things are presented and renewed in the history of the Church.

Faced with the vicissitudes of Don Bosco, I have always remained astonished, amazed, and attracted by his person and by his strength, by my presence of the supernatural in his daily life. I used to think as soon as I went to secondary school that it was fantastic to be able to relive even a little of what he had lived! From my youth I perceived Don Bosco in my heart, I heard that I was profoundly and radically Salesian. For three years I thought, and I went into crisis several times, to understand if I was called to become a Salesian priest, and then the facts and some doubts in my heart convinced me not to enter the seminary.

In the year 1982, in Rome during a national meeting of young Cooperators, the missionary crucifix was consigned to Marco Tadesco, who was leaving for Patagonia. During that Holy Mass I perceived with an imperious strength the call to change, to go inwardly with a strong heart to which it was impossible to answer "no"! Almost a sharp sword, which left no way out!

I have also talked to Don Giorgio Zanardini, who was also present in Rome. It was the period of 26 months of civil service that I have chosen to do, Giovanni Battista Bosco, who had invited me to become a Salesian (1980), and in that period, substantially, really with the civil service, I was doing the pre-novitiate period. I was a Salesian Co-operator from 1978.

Don George confided to me that the Salesian Province ILE (Province of Lombardy and Emilia) was opening up a missionary journey and that he would have thought of this.

I met him again in Bologna a few months ago and he told me that the Salesians were organizing the first team of young volunteers for Ethiopia and that I could be among them and stay there for around one month. I thought to myself, "only for a month?"

This first interior push towards the mission perceived in Rome had not been exhausted, on the contrary, it had strengthened and helped me to take a stand with my family, and with Paola (who at that time was very tired of understanding me) and with my friends in the oratorio.

I was finishing the period of civil service and the preparation for Ethiopia was marked full time by the daily commitment with children and young people at the Salesian Institute in Bologna.

My family did not accept my departure, but I was convinced, sure and I felt this inexhaustible burden that did not depend on my will and character.

If I think back on those months I perceive them as particularly important in the search for the meaning of what I was going through and now I have to thank the Lord.

The first expedition to Ethiopia

During the summer of 1983 in Ethiopia, I experienced very strong moments of Salesian spirituality and great physical fatigue and also suffering, a unique amalgam in one month that dealt the decisive blow to the change I felt was coming in my heart.

In the morning we worked hard to prepare the garden by pulling it out of the bush, in the afternoon we did the oratorio and in the evening we prayed and shared what we had done during the day. Towards the end of this period, I had a very painful abdominal infection with a strong weakening, which lasted for some time.

The first missionary group

In October of the same year, Fr. Aldo Rota (delegate for the Salesian oratorio) asked me to send out a missionary group, which did not exist in our oratorio (and even in the parish). I liked the idea and I set to work with a lot of decision, involving first Paola, who would become my wife, and then some friends of my age from the oratorio. But this was not enough and I tried to involve the students of the Salesian schools and some adults. Thus the "Mamma Margherita Laboratory" was born thanks to the enthusiasm of some ladies: Maria Lollini, Floriana, Carla Bambini Semprini and my mother Lea. At the same time, the ILE province continued to work to strengthen the missionary movement "Friends of Sidamo", which had as its strongest weapon Operation Mato Grosso.

A very important moment (I don't know if I can say that it was completely positive) was when some couples who had been involved in Operation Mato Grosso were brought into the movement, changing the initial idea and the initial climate in which I found myself because I was decidedly Salesian.

Twelve years of missionary activity in the "Friends of Sidamo" have substantially matured the idea that work purifies ideas and words and makes what one believes truer.

Madagascar

In October 1997 while I was giving a lecture to my students, I received a phone call from Don Ferdinando Colombo of the V.I.S. in Rome. Umberto Passini brought me the radiotelephone, I left the classroom and Fr. Colombo asked me if we wanted to consider Madagascar as a missionary commitment and, without wasting time, he made me speak with Fr. Luigi Zuppini, at that time provincial of Madagascar. Luigi Zuppini, at that time provincial of Madagascar. The idea was welcomed by the missionary group "Sacre Cuore" and by the community with great joy; immediately we began a more specific preparation and we began to work in a more determined way to prepare the first summer expedition to Fianarantsoa. The missionary group "Sacred Heart" was joined by the new group "St. Charles". We had a new missionary horizon and this helped to give an apostolic impetus and major convictions in these years of searching.

They took part in the first expedition Marco Zacchini, Carmela Fiore, Daniele Landi, Laura Corbo, Fr. Sandro Donghi SDB and myself.

It was a month of rethinking; the Lord accompanied us to strip us of the modalities that our presence in Ethiopia had given us, He also accompanied us to help us start afresh with a system and new references. It was a presence in the direction of "understanding a few things" and of "looking for the shoe polish".

After this expedition, we had to get down on our knees, remain in silence, and seriously confront each other and the Salesians also during the following three years, to begin to glimpse what our presence in Madagascar could look like.

Luigi Zuppini has been a great figure of reference, who helped to unleash the new potential in the C.M.B. (Don Bosco's Missionary Community) by giving us confidence, opening the doors of Madagascar to us and trusting deeply in our presence in Madagascar.

With him, Director in Fianarantsoa, Maison Marie Ma.Mi. was born. And the first people and families came down for several months.

With Don Luigi, who let us operate, we were able to form the Malagasy "Sympa" group of the C.M.B., the first non-Italian group of the Association.

Surely this great Salesian, a man with a good heart, had understood well the spiritual and apostolic foundation of the C.M.B.