austraLasia

An apostolic priestly heart of Fr. Gaetano Nicosia

By Pina B., VDB
From the Crescere (VDB Formation Magazine), 2018

Sicily, Italy, 29 March 2018 -- I get him know in the 45 years ago, almost by chance: collaborating with a private radio with a program that presented experiences of solidarity and of hope and someone tells me: “Why do you not interview Fr. Nicosia. He is here in Sicily on a visit to the family. He has magnificent experience! I would meet him and we talked for an entire afternoon. A fragile body that could break but an intense and decisive look and strength in his words that made him seem a true volcano in eruption. Yes, like a volcano: he was born at the feet of Etna, the highest volcano of Europe at San Giovanni la Punta in the province of Catania on April 3, 1915.

Fr. Nicosia was a boy when he got in his hands a missionary magazine; browsing through, saw the pictures of some leppers. It had disgusted him and horrified, put aside the journal. But at night, he was unable to sleep; he had before the eyes the images of those disfigured faces and heard like the voice of Jesus who said: “They are also my beloved sons.” He decides to become a missionary among the leppers, sure that if that was the will of God, he would be able to realize his desire.

Still young, he enters the Salesian Congregation and in 1935, before pronouncing the first religious profession, leaves a missionary for Hong Kong. It was only 30 years later, that to the Salesians reached the request of doing something for the hundred leppers semi-abandoned to their destiny that was found in the island of Coloane, at the coast of Macau: men, women and boys whom no one dared to approach. The leprosarium is found near a high cliff and many of them end by jumping over in desperation. Fr. Gaetano was immediately available to go. His dream from boyhood and the passion for least made him overcome the fear of infection and from the first moment, was for every one of them the father, the brother, the friend, the guardian angel. In them, he saw Jesus! He was able to bring the doctors and nurses, renewed the environment in a way that it was maintained clean and orderly and the food was adequate and nutritious, but above all gave dignity to the persons, entrusting to each one a duty and a work. The village became self sufficient and that what was defined as hell, he succeeded to transform it into a paradise. Many of the healed lepers will desire to remain to live in that little city that became a model health business.

In Macau, Fr. Nicosia begins to occupy himself with the VDB, accompanied a VDB Group to be born there.

Our Chinese Sisters remember him:

“Among the sick, there were good, pious and docile girls. Fr. Nicosia has explained to them, with much clarity, how one lives and practices the Salesian Spirit in consecrated secularity and some have responded with joy, happy of being useful. The first VDB have, thus, helped others who are sick and have done the services for the gravely ill with charity and with goodness. They transformed themselves in nurses and catechists. When the FMA sisters arrive on Sunday to visit the leprosarium, these VDB would accompany them as capable assistants.

At Coloane, the Canossian sisters used to have an Orphanage and Fr. Nicosia made also the apostolate; some bigger youth helped there and among those were also VDB, attracted by the zeal of Fr. Nicosia.

Later on, from Ka Ho (Coloane - Macau), he has built a school for orphaned children, poor, difficult and of families with problems and Fr. Gaetano has called the VDB as teachers and assistants. They would take care of the boys and girls more than how the mothers did. In a short time, the school was known and appreciated by the Diocese and by the Police: The Diocese praising the teachers (VDB), the Police carrying the boys found going around alone at night! Fr. Nicosia has also encouraged the VDB to work with the handicapped and all were asking him how on earth those ladies were so good and charitable, full of patience.

Fr. Nicosia had an apostolic heart, is interested with all, but the first place was for the VDB. He had a simple way for attracting the vocations or for maintaining the fervor. Calling softly and saying “I ought to tell you a secret” – “Tell me...” – and he would whisper to the ear “The Lord loves you much.”

He was Ecclesistical Assistant for quite a long time of the VDB of Macau. Then our lepers, one after the other, died and he, seeing the last empty bed has cried: he had helped them to grow and now, one after the other, they went to Paradise. For all his long life, he was for us VDB a true father; every day, he offered prayers and sacrifices for the vocations of our Institute.

Fr. Nicosia has also acquired an apartment in Hong Kong, he has registered it to the SDB, but has given it to the VDB who still use it now, with much awareness, for the meetings, the gatherings, the retreats.

When he has completed 100 years, Cardinal Zen brought Fr. Nicosia to Italy. In Turin, he met the three VDB Groups that had invited him to speak and he has said: “The VDB ought to be inserted in the society like normal Christians, but enthusiastic, always with the happy heart, with the spirit of Fr. Rinaldi and Don Bosco. They ought to take care of the poor youth with enthusiasm. You remember what John Paul II has said: “You are the WINGS of the Church. Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid because Mary Help of Christians, Fr. Rinaldi and Don Bosco are always with you.”

In 2012, Fr. Nicosia wanted to return to his Sicily on the occasion of the beatification of his friend and fellow countryman, Fr. Gabriele Allegra, Franciscan and famous in the whole world of having translated the Bible in Chinese. From boyhood, they were neighbours and often played together in the street. Then, called to the religious life: one becomes Franciscan, the other, Salesian. They will meet again both missionaries in China and Fr. Allegre every year went to pass some days in the leprosarium of Fr. Nicosia close to that friend who lived the Word every day near to the least.

Fr. Gaetano arrives in Sicily for the feast, accompanied by his “guardian angels,” as he called the two VDB who were taking care of him. I had the joy in those days, of accompanying him with my car and sharing with him days full of memories, prayer, stories of life. To stay close to this “young centenarian” was a bath of youthful and Salesian enthusiasm. Before leaving, he tells me: “I should return in a hurry to China because I want to die there and I would not like that the good God would do me the trick of calling me while I am far!” I understood then the soul of this missionary who had known to make himself Chinese by loving, much by wishing to become all one with that land. On November 6, 2017, surrounded by SDB confreres, by FMA, by VDB, after having received the blessing of his Provincial and of Cardinal Joseph Zen, he went to meet the Father at the age of 102 years.

The “normal” hero who has known to translate the Bible in Chinese, like his friend Blessed Fr. Allegra, OFM, but using simply gestures of love in that far strip of great Eastern land.