By Fr. Lanfranco Fedrigotti, SDB
Hong Kong - Just 5 minutes before the midnight of 16 July, Feast of Our Lady of Carmel, Our Lady has come to take with her the beloved and loving son that was Fr. Ernesto Rescalli. After a difficult night, in the early morning Fr. Ernesto had been brought with urgency to St. Paul’s Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit by his Rector Fr. Joseph Ng Chi Yuen.
The Provincial, informed, goes to visit him. Seeing the seriousness of the situation, he gives him the Anointing of the Sick and the Papal Blessing in articulo mortis, remaining then at his bed-side. At about 5:00 p.m. the Provincial is joined by the newly ordained priest Fr. Joseph Tran Khoi Phung. Together they pray the Rosary and sing holy hymns of faith, hope, and love in Chinese, Latin, and Italian.
Soon they are joined by half a dozen teachers, men and women, of Yuet Wah College in Macau where Fr. Rescalli had served for more than 50 years, until two years ago when he retired to Casa Braga in Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong. They come to see their dear Father for the last time. They join the praying and the singing. Twice they sing the beautiful Yuet Wah College School Anthem. Other friends of Fr. Rescalli keep coming alerted by friendly whatsapps. Among them is Mr. Michael who attended on Fr. Rescalli in his old age for 15 years since 1987.
At about 22:00 hours the Rector, Fr. Joseph Ng Chi Yuen and Fr. Domingos Leong Teng Kok also arrive together with the former head nurse of Casa Braga. We remain at Fr. Ernesto’s bed-side praying and singing until about half-an-hour before midnight. Then, seeing the situation rather stable, we say: “Apparently, Our Lady has decided not come and take him with her”. So we leave, only the Fr. Joseph Ng Chi Yuen remaining for the whole night.
Before we reach home, we receive the phone call of Fr. Joseph Ng Chi Yuen announcing the death of dear Fr. Ernesto Rescalli at about 23:55 hours, Our Lady whom Fr. Rescalli loved so dearly really has come to take his loving and beloved son with her in Heaven.
Rest in peace, dear Fr. Ernesto! On Easter Monday, 6 April this year, the Provincial community had already celebrated, together with centenarian Fr. Gaetano Nicosia, your 102nd Birthday (02-04-1913), your 80th Anniversary of Missionary Life (03-10-1935), your 79th Anniversary of Religious Profession (08-12-1936), your 70th Anniversary of Priestly Ordination (29-01-1945). What an immense amount of divine graces and generous human response behind all these anniversaries! Deo gratias tibique, carissimi Erneste! Thank you for the splendid example of totally dedicated Salesian Priestly Missionary life! From Heaven, please, intercede for us your same faith, hope, and love! Thank you! Writing this with sorrow, consolation, and thanksgiving, we recommend our dear Fr. Ernesto Rescalli to the fraternal prayer of all. Thank you!
"Fr. Ernesto was the most passionate Salesian about catechesis, about catechumen - faith education of the young people I ever met in my life.... His 50 years in Macau, Yuet Wah College were an ongoing story of love for Jesus and for the youth - to bring them closer to Jesus." EAO Regional, Fr. Václav Klement expresses his personal witness on Fr. Ernest Rescalli.
Fr. Ernesto Rescalli's 102nd birthday
Macau - in the community of Yuet Wah College
訃聞
親愛的慈幼會士及慈幼家庭各位兄弟姊妹：
林文瑞神父 主懷安息
我們敬愛的林文瑞神父（Fr. Ernesto Rescalli），已於昨晚（7月16日）11時58分，在他的院長吳志源神父陪同下，於銅鑼灣聖保祿醫院安然病逝，享年102歲。他離世的時間就是加爾默羅聖母瞻禮的最後兩分鐘，好像是聖母親自來迎接她的愛子回歸天父的懷抱。有關他的生平簡錄如下：
一些他修道生活的重要日子：
1913年04月02日 於意大利出生（Castiglione d’ Adda）
1935年10月03日 來華傳教
1936年12月08日 於香港矢發初願
1945年01月29日 於上海晉鐸
2015年07月16日 於香港逝世
他受培育和工作的時間和地方：
1935 - 1936 慈幼會修院（初學）
1936 - 1939 慈幼會修院（哲學）
1939 - 1940 香港仔工業學校（指導員）
1940 - 1941 澳門慈幼學校（指導員）
1941 - 1945 上海南市神學院（神學）
1945 - 1950 澳門慈幼學校（宗教教育主任）
1950 - 1957 香港聖類斯中學（宗教教育主任）
1957 - 1959 澳門粵華中學（宗教教育主任）
1959 - 1974 澳門慈幼學校（在聖若瑟中學教書兼指導員）
1974 - 1993 澳門粵華中學（宗教教育主任）
1993 - 2003 澳門粵華中學（宗教教育主任兼副院長）
2003 - 2011 澳門粵華中學（神師）
2011 - 2015 慈幼會修院 少懷之家（休養）
林神父青年時就遠道從意大利來華傳教。先後在上海、香港， 最後五十多年留守澳門；在慈幼中學，甚至有一段時間在教區聖若瑟中學從事教育牧民的工作。林神父一生愛主熱誠，救靈心切，謹遵會祖聖鮑思高：「予我靈，取其餘」的遺訓而奉獻一切。林神父的守靈及殯葬禮儀安排如下：
I）澳門方面：
安息彌撒（由澳門主教黎鴻昇主禮）
日期：2015年7月23日 (星期四) 晚上8時正
地點：澳門主教座堂
II）香港方面：
守靈彌撒（由省會長斐林豐神父主禮）
日期：2015年7月24日 (星期五) 晚上8時30分
地點：香港聖安多尼堂（香港薄扶林道69號A)
殯葬彌撒（由陳日君樞機主禮）
日期：2015年7月25日 (星期六) 上午10時正