VARESE – From April 29th on May 6th at the “VareseVive” exhibition space the exhibition dedicated to Monsignor Enrico Manfredinion the fortieth anniversary of his death in December 1983. The inauguration, scheduled for Monday 29th at 5pm, will open the 2024 edition of San Vittore Festivalwith events in the city until May 8th.
A parish priest at the Council
With the exhibition “Monsignor Manfredini, worker of the Gospel and charity” the Parish of San Vittore wants to pay homage to the human and Christian figure of Manfredini. The panels in the exhibition retrace his presence in Varese from 1963 to 1969 and testify to a work of profound spirituality but also of action. Monsignor Manfredini was in fact a great “servant of Christ” capable of living his vocation as a pastor without distinctions between the spiritual and operational dimensions, capable of passing from the sacristy of the Basilica of San Vittore to the halls of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, specifically called by Paul VI. Monsignor Enrico Manfredini played his role by helping the poor and prisoners, collaborating in initiatives that gave visibility to the city, stimulating lay people to commit themselves in the educational and administrative fields and dealing with the world of work. The exhibition will be exhibited at VareseVive until May 6ththen he will move to the main hall of the Manfredini School of Vareseintegrated with further specific panels relating to the educational proposal of the school itself.
The biography
Enrico Manfredini was born in Suzzara (Mantua) on January 20, 1922; He moved with his family to Milan at a very young age and in 1934 he entered the seminary in Venegono. He was ordained a priest on 26 May 1945. Deputy parish priest in Monza and then in Lambrate, he graduated in philosophy from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in 1951. Diocesan assistant to the men of Catholic Action until 1958; Since that year he has been the archbishop’s delegate for the entire Catholic Action. In 1963, before leaving for the Conclave, Cardinal Montini appoints him provost of the basilica of San Vittore in Varese. It is legitimate to hazard the hypothesis that Cardinal Montini, sensing that he would most likely emerge Pope from the Conclave, wanted to send his trusted collaborator to Varese to prepare him for pastoral roles full of responsibility. The fact that Manfredini is also says it immediately called by the newly elected Paul VI among the auditor parish priests admitted to the Vatican Council. He was then part of the papal entourage on the occasion of Pope Montini’s trips to Bogotà, Bombay and Kampala. On 4 October 1969 Paul VI nominated him bishop of Piacenza. For 13 years he carried out an intense pastoral activity in the diocese of Piacenza. In addition to his attention to the family and the world of culture, his pastoral action is characterized by universalist openness: he promotes numerous initiatives and supports movements of collaboration with the missions and with developing countries, in particular in Africa and Latin America. On 18 March 1983, Pope John Paul II entrusted him with the pastoral care of the Archdiocese of Bologna. In a few months he won the respect and trust of those who met him, especially young people who felt in him “a new man”. The He died on 16 December 1983 suddenly from a heart attack.
manfredini varesevive exhibition – MALPENSA24
