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Nino Baglieri - CDB - Servant of God (1951-2007)

by vaclav posted Dec 19, 2022
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Servant of God Antonio (Nino) Baglieri, CDB

1951-2007

 

Biography - Letters - Profile

Biography (ITA)

2017_BellocchiG_Nino_Baglieri_Atleta_di_Dio.pdf

Biography (ENG)

NINO BAGLIERI new corrections 22-1-24_240122_104059.pdf

Profile (ENG)

Antonino Baglieri-Servant of God CDB-ASC.docx

Testimony of Nino (ENG, 2007)

Nino Baglieri-eng-2007.doc

 

Nino Baglieri.jpg

NINO (ANTONINO) BAGLIERI, VOLUNTEER WITH DON BOSCO, SERVANT OF GOD

 

Diocesan Inquiry Opened: 3 March 2014 Antonino

 

Baglieri was born in Modica (Siracusa) on 1 May 1951. After attending primary school and becoming a bricklayer, at sixteen years of age on 6 May 1968 he fell from scaffolding from a height of 17 metres. Rushed to hospital to emergency, Nino saw that he was completely paralysed. Faced with this dramatic situation his mother Giuseppina, a woman who was strong in faith, made herself available to personally look after him for the rest of her life. Thus began Nino's journey of suffering, as he went from one hospital to another but without any improvement. Back in his native town in 1970, after the early days of visits from his friends, ten long years of darkness began for Nino, without leaving the house, alone, in desperation and suffering. Nino Baglieri was drowning in self-pity, cursing his lot and not seeing any ray of light. Beside him his mother prayed, just like St Augustine's mother prayed for the conversion of her son.

 

On 24 March 1978, Good Friday, a group of people who were part of the Renewal of the Spirit Movement prayed over him; Nino felt himself transformed as he himself recounts: “It was Good Friday 1978; I will never be able to forget that date. It was four in the afternoon; the priest came with a small group of people who began to pray over me, laid hands on my head and called on the Holy Spirit; it was at that precise moment when they were invoking the Holy Spirit that I felt a great warmth invade my body, a tingling as if there was new strength coming into me and something old was leaving me. At that instant I accepted the Cross, said my ‘yes’ to the Lord, accepted Christ into my life and was reborn to new life. At that moment I was looking for physical healing but instead the Lord had worked something greater: healing of the spirit. I was reborn to new life, a new man with a new heart; while still suffering my heart was filled with a new joy, a joy I had never known.”

 

From that moment Nino began reading the Gospels and the Bible: he rediscovered the wonders of faith. It was at that time, while helping some of the neighbouring youngsters to do their homework that he learned how to write with his mouth. And this is how he spent his days: he wrote his memoirs, wrote letters to people of all kinds all around the world, personalised little cards that he gave to people who visited him. Thanks to a crossbar he was able to write down telephone numbers and be in direct contact with other people who were sick: his calm and convincing words comforted them. He began a constant flow of relationships with people which not only brought him out of his own isolation but left him to witness to the Gospel of joy and hope with courage and without fear. In Loreto, speaking to a large group of young people who were looking at him with a degree of pity, he had the courage to tell them: “If any of you are in mortal sin then you are in a worse state than I am!”

 

From 6 May 1982 onwards Nino celebrated the anniversary of his Cross, and the same year he became part of the Salesian Family as a Salesian Cooperator. On 31 August 2004 he made his perpetual profession among the Volunteers With Don Bosco (CDB). On 2 March 2007, at 8 a.m. and after a long period of suffering and trial, he gave up his soul to God. After his death he was dressed in tracksuit and gym shoes because, as he had said: “On my final trip to God I want to run to meet him.” In this race to God, Nino involved so many people, people who had got to know him personally and had listened to his words, and had found hope and strength thanks to him.

 

Nino's testimony reminds us that the Church's renewal passes through the witness offered by the life of believers. By their very existence in the world, Christians are in fact called to let the word of truth that the Lord Jesus left us shine out. Nino's message reminds us that the trials of life, while allowing us to understand the mystery of the cross and to participate in Christ's sufferings, are but a prelude to eternal joy which faith leads us to. Cardinal Angelo Comastri, who had the opportunity to meet and get to 199 know Nino Baglieri, has said: “When you met him you had the sensation that the Holy Spirit dwelt within him ... He celebrated the anniversary of his call to the cross like others celebrate the anniversary of their marriage or ordination ...

 

Nino Baglieri became a tireless apostle, a magnet of goodness which attracted so many young people to the love of God. Where did he find his strength? In the Holy Eucharist! He has given us a touching prayer in his diary, written with a pen in his mouth, which goes like this:

 

‘Lord, in the Holy Eucharist let yourself be absorbed in order to transform us into you, to be like you, to love and serve like you. Transform my life, O Lord, change it in your way, so that I too may be a host for my brothers and sisters, that I may give myself to others with the same love as you give yourself to me, so that I too may give myself to everyone.’”

 

PRAYER

We adore you in your mystery, God who are love. guide our souls Shepherd Father guard our life, Redeemer Son, Holy Spirit, burning bush, inflame our hearts.

We praise you for the epiphany of your love in your beloved disciple Nino Baglieri, who following Don Bosco's example took your cross upon himself, loved Jesus in the Eucharist, Mary Help of Christians and the Church becoming a victim and offering like you.

We praise you for the way of love that drove Nino Baglieri to such a gift: consecrated in the world, in the Salesian Family, he witnessed the joy of Christ to all, the young and the suffering, so that our life might become more human.

We thank you for the fruitfulness of love in the great works of charity you worked in Nino Baglieri to the glory of your name, on our behalf, so that we may be truer Christians today. In all humility we ask you: may he be recognised by the Church as an exemplary witness of holiness. Through his intercession, grant us the grace that we ask for... especially our conversion to adhere faithfully to your truth.

Never let us tire

of always doing your will.

Amen.