FATHER SEBASTIAN DONATI
(1730-1761)
FATHER PIUS ALEXANDER GALLIZIA
(1735-1763)
Fr. Donati and Fr. Gallizia must be commemorated together as heroes of the faith in Burma. They shared hardships, dangers, and death for the same cause.
In 1756 the mission entrusted to the Barnabites was experiencing difficulties because of the many losses of personnel: four religious died in a shipwreck on their way to and the Apostolic Vicar, Fr. Nerini, had been killed in an uprising. The Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith enticed our Superiors to send more men. Of the many who answered Fr. General’s appeal four were selected: Benigno Arenati, Gherardo Cortenovis, Sebastian Donati, and Pius Alexander Gallizia. The first two boarded the ship ‘Le Due de Parme,” the other two “Le Conte d’Argenson,” escorted by seven warships, a necessary precaution because of the war going on between France and England. Their trip, started on January 19, 1758, took two and half years in the midst of many dangers. Finally they reached Rangoon on June 8, 1760, avoiding a shipwreck on the coast of Martaban where, few years before, two other missionaries had lost their lives. Fr. Gallizia stayed in Rangoon, while Fr. Donati went to Ava.
Unfortunately because of tremendous difficulties and an attack of dropsy, this young and zealous missionary died at the very beginning of his apostolate. Fr. Gallizia wrote: “Because of the difficulties encountered during the trip of a month and a half and the different climate and the bad weather (it rained continuously for six months), or for other reasons unknown to me, as soon as he arrived in Ava he was taken by a high fever, his legs swelled, he got progressively worse. After five months of sufferings he had to bow to the illness, since the Almighty wanted to take him away from this miserable mortal life, to lead him to the blessed and immortal life, on January 20 of the current year, on the day of the martyr St. Sebastian, whose name he carried.”
“If I have been deeply saddened by this loss anyone can be convinced considering that now here I am all alone, deprived of my only confrere, better yet my Father and Superior, and, that being so far away from him, I have not been able to give him the last good-by, nor to hear his last wills and counsels, nor give him any assistance which for sure would have been very much appreciated at the extreme moment of his life. I adore the divine inscrutable dispositions, and nothing else I can say of my deceased brother in Jesus Christ than ‘Consummatus in brevi, explevit tempora multa, ‘considering his great zeal for the salvation of souls during the long naval trip and long stay in Coromandel. In Pondichery one of his tasks was to visit daily the large hospital of the city to offer any possible spiritual help to the sick. As he reached the mission he gained in a short time with his charity and zeal so much love and respect, not only among the Christians, but also among the gentiles, that at his death he has left in everyone a deep longing for him.”
The King of Ava ordered Fr. Gallizia to take Fr. Donati’s place, which he did immediately. He had all the qualities of the perfect missionary: open mind, strong memory, abundant energies, great generosity, loving compassion; gifts he used unreservedly to lead people to Christ.
His first task was to study the Burmese language. As soon as he managed the language he published a very successful Catechism with the most important elements of our faith and responsibilities. One of the major obstacles to his preaching was a group of fanatic monks, called Talapoins. He disposed of them forcing them to have open disputes with him. One of his accomplishments was the liberation of many slaves, men and women, captured by the Burmese army in Tavai and Mergui. He was blessed by the arrival of two confreres, Fr. Percoto and Fr. Avenati.
Fr. Gallizia moved to the North of Ava, since he was fluent in the language. Fr. Percoto established himself in Sabankroa, where Fr. Donati had died. But he too unfortunately became very ill. As soon as Fr. Gallizia found out, although he himself was suffering with sores all over his body, he left his post to be with Fr. Percoto. But it was too much for his sick body. In Monia Fr. Gallizia became very ill with dropsy. This time it was Fr. Percoto’s turn to run to assist him, which he did with great abnegation until February 13, 1763, when Fr. Gallizia died in his arms.
Fr. Gallizia had left one request: “to be buried in Subankroa close to Fr. Donati. Fr. Percoto followed his wish. In this way the two confreres who had shared their missionary zeal, now rest together in the land where their energies had been spent for God’s glory.
