We have just received the joyful news that Pope Francis has approved the beatification of another son of Saint Eugene, Father Mario Borzaga OMI and his lay catechist Paul Thoj Xyooj, killed in hatred of the faith in Laos in April 1960.
Born in Trent (Italy), 27 August 1932, Mario entered the diocesan seminary to be a priest. During that time a visiting Oblate came to the seminary to speak about missionary life, and Mario understood that God was calling him to becoming an Oblate missionary.
He made his perpetual oblation on 21 November 1956 and wrote:
“I have understood my vocation:
to be a happy man,
even in the effort to identify myself
with the Crucified Christ”
Ordained Priest on 24 February 1957, he wrote to the Superior General of the Oblates:
“I want to tell you, first of all, of my joy for having achieved the priesthood in the bosom of the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate; a joy so alive at this moment being ordained few days ago. With regards to my future religious life, I am at your complete disposition. If however I am permitted to express my desire, I ask humbly to be sent a missionary in Laos. I do not want to completely presume of my strengths and therefore, conscious of my weakness and insufficiency, I entrust myself completely to your prudent judgment”.
Letter to Fr. Leo Dechâtelets OMI, Superior General, 2 March 1957
Sent out as a missionary to Laos (South East Asia), on 31 October 1957, he wrote in his diary:
“We missionaries are made to be this: to leave is a normality, to go is a necessity! Tomorrow the roads will be our homes; and if we shall be compelled to anchor ourselves into a home, we will transform it into a road that leads to God”.
From his personal diary, 1957
His brief existence – he was never to reach his 28th birthday – came to an end in the solitude of the forest, along a track in the mountainside, while he was returning from an apostolic journey with his catechist. They were put to death by a group of communist guerrillas, thus interrupting forever on this earth, the marvelous dream of this young missionary, but fulfilling his dream of making of his life a total oblation – the highest destiny of a son of Eugene de Mazenod, an Oblate of Mary Immaculate who understood the implications of bearing this name.
Praise and thanks be to God! Reading the news yesterday about Mario Borzaga on Facebook was nice – but I really knew so very little about him. This morning thanks to you Frank I have been given an opportunity to glance and then reflect on the greatness of this man who gave his all for God. I have sat in silent witness to a great love and and an even greater oblation. And it has touched me deeply where words are hard to come by.
I wanted to more and so checked the Oblate Historical Dictionary which has not yet caught up to Mario’s time. And at this moment I recall Eugene’s many urgent requests and demands for record keeping, with stories and works of the Oblates to be gathered.
In the coming days I think I should like to reflect on Mario Borzaga’s words as captured by Frank: “I have understood my vocation: to be a happy man, even in the effort to identify myself with the Crucified Christ” and “We missionaries are made to be this: to leave is a normality, to go is a necessity! Tomorrow the roads will be our homes; and if we shall be compelled to anchor ourselves into a home, we will transform it into a road that leads to God.” I should like to get to know Mario Borzaga better – for his words certainly transmit the joy and happiness that he was called to (that we are all called to) and invite us to join him along that road that leads to God.
Look at what walking along side of the Oblates brings us to! Praise and thanks be to God.
Fr. Mario was and still is a huge inspiration to me! He is the ultimate model for ALL Oblates of Mary Immaculate and anyone seeking to live solely for the glory of God and the salvation of souls! PRAISED BE JESUS CHRIST AND MARY IMMACULATE! Today the Church rejoices!!! Blessed Mario Borzaga, OMI – Ora pro nobis!!!!
excellent!
He is a figure of Jesus : he gave himself out of love for us