Italy
Yesterday, October 7, Father Angelo Esposito, a fidei donum missionary of the Diocese of Naples (Italy) in Guatemala, returned to the Father.
He was also a correspondent for spazio + spadoni. For him, a remembrance filled with profound gratitude.
We will no longer be able to ask Father Angelo Esposito for articles, commentaries, or personal testimonies. He will write no more.
Yet throughout his life, he wrote pages of love: especially during his last 25 years of mission in his beloved Tacanà, Guatemala.
His words were always expressions of solace, faith, and hope. They were always reflections of that saving Word, even when surrounded by extreme poverty, even when sudden illness arrived uninvited.
He was 53 years old, Father Angelo, a priest of the Diocese of Naples, but he never wasted a single day: always serving his neighbour, always standing beside the most vulnerable.
The numerous projects realized with the “Hermana Tierra” association; the “Los Angelitos” pediatric clinic, founded to treat malnourished infants; the pastoral ministry lived with fervent faith and open generosity…
Everything spoke and continues to speak of him, of his immense missionary longing, of a heart widely opened to the world.
During his final year, even from a hospital bed, he left us a towering spiritual inheritance: the grace to welcome suffering and transform it into gift and shared communion… The resolve to surrender to God and gaze with compassion upon all who bore sorrow in their hearts.
While fighting his illness, he wrote:
«For over a year I have carried my cross: illness, suffering, and pain are part of my daily life. There are moments when the burden feels too heavy, but right when strength fails, faith sustains and uplifts me. I look to the empty tomb and Christ’s victory over death, and there I find hope.
This journey of trial teaches me that I am not alone: God walks beside me. Just as Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father, I too surrender into His hands. Every gesture, every encounter, every caress received or given becomes a sign of that love which makes everything true, beautiful, and possible».
And further, as a spiritual testament:
«Eternal life begins now: it is a continual rising again each day, in decisions born of love. With God’s help I desire to keep offering hope, especially to those who like me walk through illness and await healing. For whoever listens to the voice of the heart discovers that love never disappoints.
I received so much from the communities I met: my heart still beats alongside my brothers and sisters of Guatemala, the families, the youth, the children, the parents I accompanied. It beats with my family, my friends, the parishes. I love and I feel deeply loved.
The time given us is a precious gift: it must not be squandered, but lived with purpose, building bonds of reconciliation. We cannot allow hatred, bitterness, or sadness to extinguish our dreams. We are called to walk as children of light, not of darkness».
For all of this we thank you, Father Angelo.
We will no longer ask you for articles, but we will ask you for prayers.
His funeral will be celebrated on Friday, October 9 at 11:00 AM at the Palazzetto of San Sebastiano al Vesuvio by Archbishop Domenico Battaglia of Naples.
Yet today, spazio + spadoni, and especially all who were graced to know and meet him, wish to remember him through the moving prayer he offered us just days ago:
“There are evenings when the heart is at peace, and others when it carries weariness, questions, fears, and a few tears. And perhaps true strength lies not in pretending everything is fine, but in welcoming every emotion, passing through it, and handing it with trust into God's hands. This evening I do not ask You, Lord, to take away every hardship, but to help me live through it with You. When I do not understand, teach me to trust. When I feel fragile, remind me that I am not alone. When the path seems difficult, grant me the grace to keep hoping. Because even in the darkest nights, You are there… and Your love never fails. Goodnight to all. May God guard our hearts and grant us a night of peace, trust, and hope”.
Photos by father Angelo ESposito
