Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Piacenza (Fides Service) - Friday 2 September will be the 11th anniversary of the death of Rev. Vittorio Pastori, known in Italy as “Don Vittorione”, who founded the Africa Mission - Cooperation and Development Movement in Piacenza which continues to promote projects of well digging and assistance to missionary realities in Uganda started by the priest. Saturday 3 September at 6.30pm a special Mass will be celebrated in the parish of Santa Franca.
Born in Varese in 1926, Vittorio Pastori engaged for about 15 years in a flourishing business activity which he gave up in 1969 encouraged by Bishop Enrico Manfredini of Piacenza who entrusted him with various responsibilities in the diocese. Together with the Bishop he met some African bishops and visited Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and other sub-Saharan countries where he was deeply moved by the poverty of the people and the work of the local Church and missionaries. His first thought was to offer material help to those poor people by informing the Italians of the inhuman confiditions of life and workthe situation and at the same time supplying ploughs, tractors and other mechanical, farm and sanitary equipment. In 1972 he founded the Africa Mission Association and continued his activity as a commuter between Italy and Africa. Aid was ferried by air and sea. In 1982 Cooperation and Development became an NGO with specialised and experienced technicians and since then it has dug more than 500 new clean water wells and repaired numerous existing wells.
On 15 September 1984 Vittorio Pastori was ordained a priest by Bishop Cipriano Kihangire of Gulu (Uganda) and continued his mission at the service of the hungry and the excluded providing material and spiritual aid. He alternated long periods in at Kampala and Moroto in Uganda with stays in Italy during which he raised funds at meetings with communities, parishes, groups and associations. He died in Italy on 2 September 1994 after making his 147th journey to Uganda. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 31/8/2005 righe 24, parole 341)
