Xaverian Missionaries

Our story begins in the northwest of Italy, in a city renowned for its food, opera and medieval architecture, a city surrounded by fertile land and thus a centre for agriculture: Parma. Founded by the Romans along the Via Emilia in 183 b.c., it may not be one of the most famous Italian cities, but it has played an important role in the development of both Christianity and Italy as a nation. It has had its own bishop since the 4th century and in 1831 and 1848 its citizens took part in the risings for independence from the French and then in 1861 became part of a united Italy. At the time of our story poverty was acute and widespread in rural areas, where peasant families had gained nothing from the breakup of large feudal estates during the wars of independence and unification.

With this background, Guido Giuseppe Maria Conforti was born at near Parma on March 30th, 1865 to Rinaldo Conforti and Antonia Adorni. Guido was the eighth of ten children. His education was placed in the hands of the Christian Brothers. His primary schooling began in Parma because the newly formed Italian State was still growing and had yet to encompass education and social services. This meant that he had to leave his family and stay with the Mainis family.

Under the influence of Brother Crispino, young Guido showed interest in learning and books, rather than play, possibly due to his frail health. It was at this time that he began a relationship that lasted throughout his life: it was with the crucified Christ. On his way to and from school he visited regularly the little Church of Peace, where a huge crucifix fascinated him. He looked at me and told me so many things and For me it is a miraculous crucifix, I owe my vocation to it, he was heard to tell his friends.
In the autumn of 1876, at the age of 11, Guido expressed to his parents his desire to enter the seminary and become a priest. It was an option that was not easily accepted by his father. He envisioned Guido as the guarantee for his farmlands development and management. He also knew the verbal abuse that the sacks of coal (as clerics were referred because of their black cassocks) had to endure. Guido called his mother and the Mainis family to his side causing his father to relent. On November 4th, 1876 he entered the seminary.

In the winter of 1879 Guido read the biography of St. Francis Xavier and was captivated by it. The effect was such that he resolved to become a missionary like Xavier himself. In fact, in 1880 Guido applied to become a Jesuit but only on the condition that he would be sent to the missions. His offer was turned down because the Company of Jesus do not accept conditions! Not to be discouraged he requested information from the Salesians. A bureaucratic mistake led to a similar fate at the Salesians.
By the winter of 1882 Guido's health and progress towards the priesthood were threatened by illness. Finally, after his physical ordeal and mental anguish of months of uncertainty, Guido was raised to the priesthood at the hands of Bishop Andrea Miotti on September 22nd, 1888, aged 23. His first assignment was to be vice-rector of the seminary where he had studied. During this time he explained to Miotti his dream of becoming a missionary and that because of his poor health no missionary order would accept him. Guido’s felt compelled by God to resolve his problem and fulfill his dreams by founding his own missionary society. Miotti, however, asked that Guido give himself to the greater Glory of God and for the good of the diocese of Parma. In other words he was being asked to put aside his dream.

After Miotti died Guido wrote a letter to Cardinal Ledochowscki, Prefect for the Propagation of the Faith, setting out his plans. This letter has been described as being written with almost innocent faith and the Spirit heard and guided Guido's way. To his surprise, he received full endorsement to bring his dream to fruition. And so, with the Bishop's approval, and at the age of 29, he bought a building in Borgo Del Leon D'oro, not far from the Diocesan Seminary of Parma.

Just after realising his dream the Bishop of Parma Francesco Magani appointed Guido Vicar General in 1896. In 1902 Guido was appointed as Bishop of Ravenna by Pope Leo XIII, and consecrated by Cardinal Lucido Parrocchi. It was an appointment that upset his plans and seemed to tear him from his dream that was being realised. Guido did not see himself as a bishop, he felt his health, his training and his inexperience would over-whelm him in this new position. Despite these objections and on June 9th, 1902 at St. Peter's Guido was consecrated Bishop. However, immediately before the service he made his religious profession. In spite of his initial reluctance to the post of Archbishop of Ravenna, once he started he aimed to make an impact.

Bishop Conforti arrived with a plan of action. He saw ignorance of their faith as the major problem in the diocese. His was a plan of education and catechesis, parish visits and encouragement for the local clergy and seminarians. It was seen as being prophetic by some and others reacted with coldness and hostility. After two years of constant work, it finally took its toll: on October 6th, 1904 Pius X accepted his resignation on health grounds. He retired to Parma and his institute and with this his health improved.

Now I seem to be born again to a new life. All my thoughts and my affections are focused on our missionary society, within which I hope to end my days.

The hand of fate, or the inspiration of the Spirit was to again enter the life of Guido: in December of 1907, Guido became bishop of Parma. Bishop Conforti adopted In Omnibus Christi (Christ in all things) as his motto, and the Xaverians would later adopt it as well. It was to be put to practical application in his pastoral visits throughout the diocese. As with Ravenna, he took education as a focus for pastoral action. He would write many letters revolving around education: of children, of the clergy, of adults and with a special emphasis of youth.

Bishop Conforti was to become embroiled in the local politics of the day. A strong Socialist Party was one side and the other was the State and the landowners. The workers suffered low wages, long hours and atrocious and dangerous working conditions. He was known to support the workers because he saw that as his Christian duty in fighting for justice and social peace. At the same time he urged the wealthy to be more just in distributing their wealth. Yet, he strongly opposed and condemned those who sought their end though violent acts. Conforti was never a spectator in these events that affected his brothers and sisters; he fought for the politics of the Gospel that is an end to hatred, division and violence.
During the First World War Guido put all at his disposal to helping prisoners of war, children and families that had lost their bread winner, he visited the wounded, he comforted the bereaved, took care of those displaced by the war. He made sure that his seminarians, both diocesan and Xaverian helped in the hospitals that were erected. At the end of the War Bishop Conforti held a service of thanksgiving in the cathedral. At the end of the war Italy was again in crisis.

The Socialists were continuing their class struggle and were being opposed by the Fascists who gained the upper hand. Parma almost paid dearly for its strong socialist trends. Tensions reached a peak between on August 2nd and 3rd, 1922 when fascists surrounded strikers in Parma. It is believed that the intervention of Conforti is the only thing that led to the fascists leaving without any blood having been shed. He felt that he was to be guided, not by human politics, rather the politics of the Gospel that create lasting peace and harmony, allowed him to never become a political pawn.

In 1916 Guido Conforti got involved in the Missionary Union of Clergy together with Fr Paolo Manna of the Pontifical Institute of Milan Missionary Society. The idea was to mobilize priests around the world to reawaken their awareness of having been ordained for the whole world and encourage them to heighten their people's commitment to spreading the Gospel. It was to be another legacy to the mission of the Church. When Conforti retired from the Missionary Union of Clergy in 1927, was present in 44 Italian dioceses alone. It formed a cultural magazine Missionary Studies that had great success. Bishop Conforti constantly asked the Pope for an encyclical that dealt with the mission of the Church and just after the First World War Benedict XV produced Maximum Illud" that called for an indigenous clergy and re-awakened missionary awareness and collaboration.

Conforti was not to let a chance to visit his missionaries and missions pass him by so on October 23rd he arriving in Hong Kong.and by December 28th, 1928, Guido Conforti returned from China to Parma. He was over 60 when he undertook this tremendous journey to the other side of the world. His health, never great at the best of times, would to be seriously affected, yet this was not a hindrance, instead it was an incentive to accomplish his dream. His visit was in his words:not out of curiosity to see new lands and customs, but to be with you, to give you my blessings, to congratulate you for your splendid work and the abundant fruits you have gathered . . . I want to see for myself your needs and see how the Institute can do more in the future to help you. He had the opportunity to visit various missions and meet his missionaries and discuss their work and their needs. It was with sadness and a heavy heart that he had to return to Italy. on December 28th, 1928.
But in spite of orders to rest, he began a final pastoral visit to the parishes of his city, speaking time and again of his visit to China. These were to be his last visits. They drained his energy and still refused to take things at a slower pace. This was sign that the end was coming. On October 25th, 1931 he ordained eight sub-deacons and then was forced to bed feeling exhausted. He was suffering from cerebral hemorrhage. Guido Conforti died on November 5th, 1931. He was buried on November 8th with a procession stretching five miles followed him to his resting place. Monsignor Cazzinion saw it in the following way: Is this the funeral of a man fallen under the scythe of death or the triumph of a saint exalted to the glory of heaven.
Throughout his life Guido Maria Conforti was consumed two elements that live together: the Gospel and mission. He has been accredited as being one of the major contributors to the reawakening of mission in the last century. He may not have performed miracles or cures, yet he helped create a sense of hope: hope that our human family could become In Omnibus Christus.
February 11th, 1982, His Holiness John Paul II proclaimed him venerable and on March 17th, 1996 Pope John Paul II declared Guido Maria Conforti blessed.