P. Antonio Alberton
Cittadella (Padova), 20 agosto 1921
Cittadella (Padova), 10 novembre 1987
Lavorò una trentina d'anni nel Bangladesh. Di anni 66. Sepolto a Cittadella
Il P. Antonio Alberton nacque a Cittadella il 20 agosto 1921, fece gli studi ginnasiali nel seminario di Padova e nel 1938 entrò nel nostro noviziato.
Dopo l'ordinazione sacerdotale (1947), col P. Tessaro aprì la casa di Zelarino che accolse i nostri studenti di Pedrengo e di Grumone (1948-1949). Nel 1949 fu mandato alla casa di Nizza Monferrato da adattare per il noviziato.
Partì per il Bangladesh il 3 Luglio 1952. Lavorò a Bhabarpara (1952-1962) e a Baniarchok (1963-1969) impegnandosi nella catechesi, nell'attività sociale e nell'assistenza medica ai malati.
Fu a Khulna e a Jessore negli negli anni 1970-1971 durante la lotta d'indipendenza del Bangladesh dal Pakistan, quando fu ucciso il P. Veronesi.
Richiamato in Italia, dove diresse la casa di Nizza Monferrato, tornò nel Bangladesh nel 1975 e a Shebalunia fu parroco e direttore d'un piccolo ospedale. Nel 1983 era a Dhaka ad organizzare una residenza per i confratelli di passaggio in quella città. Là fu coinvolto con la moto in un incidente che ebbe per lui gravi conseguenze (Natale del 1985). Costretto a lungo riposo, si rammaricava per non potere lavorare ancora per gli altri.
Tornò in Italia per affari nell'agosto del 1987 e si preparava a tornare nel Bangladesh col proposito di sistemarsi in un villaggio dei più poveri a terminarvi gli ultimi anni di vita, quando il Signore lo chiamò a sé durante il riposo pomeridiano nel paese natio.
Con una trentina d'anni d'attività per la gente più umile e bisognosa ha mostrato come si ama Dio nel prossimo.
Fr. Antonio Alberton
Cittadella (Padova), 20 agosto 1921
Cittadella (Padova), 10 novembre 1987
Fr. Antonio Alberton died at his home in Cittadella (Padova) of a cardiac arrest on Nov. 10 1987, during his afternoon rest. He was 66 years old, born at Cittadella (Padova) on Aug. 20 1921.
He began his studies at the diocesan seminary of Padova, and in 1938 entered the Xaverian Novitiate at S. Pietro in Vincoli, where he professed religious vows on Oct. 3 1939. After his priesthood ordination on Aug. 17 1947, he was assigned to open the house in Zelarino (Venice) together with Fr. Tessaro, which welcomed the students of Pedrengo and Grumone (1948-49). He was then sent to Nizza Monferrato in 1949 to prepare the house for the Novitiate.
He left for Bangladesh on July 3 1952, where he worked at Bhabarpara (1952-62) and at Baniarchok (1963-69) with particular attention in the catechesis, social activity and the care of the sick. "There are more than 30 years of missionary life which can be summarized in one expression found in his writings: ‘God is love, and love is shown by our love for our brothers and sisters.’ It was charity that pushed him to serve in the far-away and most difficult places of the mission; it was love that became concrete and shown through real deeds: ‘I was hungry… I was thirsty… I was sick…’" (Fr. A. Ceresoli, Funeral)
He was also at Khulna and Jessore during the years of the fight of Independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan (1970-71), when our Fr. Veronesi was killed. He wrote: “I went in a Muslim country and I felt the need to deepen my understanding of Islam and Mohamed through reading. I consider Mohamed a great man who brought monotheism in a land of many gods. I even dare to think that he would have become Christian if it were not for the many religious sects of that time.”
He returned to Italy for a brief period, as superior of the house of Nizza Monferrato, and returned to Bangladesh in 1975, working at Shelabunia as parish priest and director of a small clinic. In 1983 Fr. Antonio went to Dhaka to organize a domus for the confreres there, when he had a motorcycle accident during the Christmas 1985, with serious setbacks for him. He was obliged to a lengthy recovery, with much anxiety on his part, because he could not help as he wanted to.
He returned for a brief stay in Italy in August 1987, hoping to return to Bangladesh and work the rest of his life among the most needy and poor. Fr. Ceresoli reflected in the funeral liturgy: “He wanted to live in a hut of a village, like the poor people do, until the day when the Lord would call him home. He wanted to suffer with them and show, through his dedication and care for the sick, that God is love. He understood these things and matured this plan from his two years of ‘desert’ experience, following the motorcycle accident that kept him in coma for 40 days."
Unfortunately, the Lord called him home during an afternoon rest in his own town on Nov. 10 1987. With his thirty years of mission experience in Bangladesh, Fr. Antonio showed how to love God and neighbor, and the least among them. In his last year of life, he wrote: “When the Lord calls me, don’t write anything about my life. Say only: ‘The Lord has called to himself Fr. Alberto, who deeply thanks his confreres for the good example given, and who asks pardon to them if he gave very little example’.”
