FAUSTO TORRESENDI (priest)
Born: Costermano VR – August 8, 1947
First profession September 25, 1965
Perpetual profession February 24, 1972
Ordination September 2, 1973
Died Borgo Roma VR – March 17, 2020
Age 72 years
On Tuesday evening, March 17, 2020, around 9:50 p.m., Father Fausto returned to the Father's house. We are all grieved because we have lost a brother and a dear friend who devoted much of his energy to Santa Croce in Milan, especially to the group of divorced couples he counseled and the many engaged couples he accompanied to the sacrament of marriage.
For me he was not only a great companion, but a great friend. We knew each other since we were teenagers when we walked together and were ordained together on the same day, September 2, 1973.
I still have clear memories of how in the summer of 1972 we spent three months together in Africa as deacons, two in South Africa and one in the Ivory Coast. It was at that time Fausto fell in love with the mission which he then cultivated all his life. He began at the mission center with Fr. Pietro Marchesini developing the magazine IL MISSIONARIO from 1973 to 75, then full of enthusiasm and passion for Africa, he asked to leave and in 1975 he reached the mission of Pretoria, Brits, De Wildt (at that time they still used Boer names, only later they were called by the name of the local language, Tswana). He stayed on at the mission until 1980. Those were good years, full of commitment to the apostolate that deeply marked his life.
When he returned to Italy, he was with Father Marchesini in missionary activity for some years, then he made himself available as a parish priest in Parma where he stayed for over ten years.
A terrible stroke in 1997 did not extinguish his ardor as an apostle, even though he had to slow down his commitments a lot.
He then arrived in Milan in 2004 where he became responsible for the University Retirement Office as well as became a lively and committed collaborator in the parish. Above all, his main pastoral services in the community of Santa Croce were: the group of separated-divorced people and the marriage preparation courses he conducted during the whole time he lived in Santa Croce, until 2012.
I still remember his ability to enter into people's consciences, helping them to find themselves, always looking for new ways of witnessing to the faith, spending all the time necessary for listening and spiritual accompaniment.
In recent days some very beautiful testimonies about Fr. Fausto have arrived.
In particular, a mother who met him at the marriage preparations classes wrote when she heard the news that he was in the hospital and said: "The news grieves us infinitely and we will pray for him with all our family. We are expecting a baby girl who will be born any day now and one of our greatest desires was to introduce her to Father Fausto, so we will also count on increased strength to pray for him and send thoughts of love and healing. A virtual embrace to everyone, Manu, Mirco (and Anna)".
May the Father welcome him into his home: «Come, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord» (cf Mt 25:21).
Father Lidio Zaupa
