BY RENATO BONA
“On the night of 22 August 2010, a rifle shot abruptly interrupted the life of Don Francesco Cassol, a priest from Belluno, on his way to the Murge of Bari with a group of goumiers. Don Francesco, priest, parish priest, scout, goumier, man, has traced an indelible path in the people who knew him ”. Thus we read on the back cover of the booklet (small in size but large in content concerning an authentically special person-priest) “The trace of Don Francesco”, with writings by Don Cassol, edited by Andrea Padoin and Marco Perale and printed by Belluno typography Piave in August 2011, on the first anniversary of the “return of Don Francesco to the Father’s house” and, second edition, in June 2012 on the occasion of the title of the “Casera i Ronch-Bivacco don Francesco Cassol”. Those who write these notes acquired the booklet in question by visiting the market that Elisa Dalla Rossa (with the well-known enthusiasm that characterizes this and other initiatives of hers in favor of the Yolandre Association of Madagascar to carry out the project of a kindergarten to be built in favor of children of single parents, a project born from an idea of Gilda, a Malagasy girl, met by Elisa during a holiday in Nosy Be) set up in the former barber shop on via Rialto in the center of Belluno. And so he was able to go back to the tragic news of twelve years ago when a poacher killed Don Francesco Cassol with a shotgun who (together with some young people was living an experience of prayer and walking in the Alta Murgia national park) was sleeping in the opened in a sleeping bag, having mistaken it for a wild boar (and for this he was sentenced by the Court of Altamura to one year and seven months in prison).
The precious publication (the proceeds from the sale will be donated to charity projects close to Don Francesco Cassol), introduced by Daniele Casanova, area manager of Agesci Belluno and by Aldo De Menech, district commissioner Pse Belluno-Trentino Alto Adige, and presented by the then bishop of Belluno-Feltre Monsignor Giuseppe Andrich, opens with an image of the priest from Belluno (born on 23 July 1958, third of six brothers) in Puglia, at the departure of his last Goum on 18 August 2010 and is divided into these chapters: “Love of God”, “Love”, “Community”, “Gift”, “Mission”, “Prayer”, “Priesthood”, “Service”, “Conclusion”. Marcvo Perale highlights, among other things, of Don Francesco “A vocaziuoner alk sdervizio that developed within the scoputrismo, where he followed the intgero itinerary of the formazioner, from a wolf to becoming Chief, first in the Asci, and then in the Agesci (of which he was local ecclesiastical assistant from 1985) until his last position as Assistant of the District of BellunO-Trentino Alto Adige of the Italian Association of Catholic Guides and Scouts of Europe Fse). A vocation – he underlines – which had Saint Francis and Charles de Foucauld among its constant points of reference ”.
The curriculum of the tragically deceased priest recalls that he was ordained a priest on April 16, 1983 with his first pastoral appointment in Limana as parish vicar; in 1985 he became deputy director of the “Papa Luciani” spirituality center in Col Cumano di Santa Giustina; he was also deputy assistant to Youth and Catholic Action for boys, diocesan assistant to university students, secretary of the presbyteral council of the Diocese, teacher of religion at the “Renier” teaching institute of Belluno, episcopal vicar for pastoral care and was responsible for the organization of Mission for the Jubilee of 2000 in the diocesan context. Again: he also carried out pastoral service in the parishes of Roe di Sedico and San Gregorio nelle Alpi: he approached the therapeutic community “Fraternity” of Landris di Sedico of which he became animator and then president; coordinator of the offices of the Curia and secretary of the diocesan synod. The appointment as archpriest of Longarone and parish priest of Igne and Ospitale di Cadore as well as forane vicar of Forania di Longarone and Pieve di Zoldo dates back to 2005. He collaborated in the project of the “Way of the Dolomites” of which – it was March 2010 – he had become coordinator for the aspects related to spirituality. His scout training had brought him from the nineties – we still quote Perale – into contact with the spirituality of the “Goum”, an essential and community experience of physical and spiritual journey, which I then lead numerous times in France and Italy. Until the tragic night of 22 August 2012 …
We conclude by recalling that on Sunday 17 June 2012 the dedication ceremony of the I Ronch dairy to Don Francesco Cassol took place, with over 200 people present from three different locations: Col di Roanza, Case Bortot and Caiada, climbed to the casera (owned by the Municipality of Belluno) on the northern side of Mount Serva, in the Belluno Dolomites National Park.
IN THE PHOTOS (reproductions from “The track of Don Francesco” and the brochure of the Yolandre Association): the cover of the publication edited by Andrea Padoin and Marco Perale; young people from Madagascar for whom the Yolandre association is involved, with Elisa Dalla Rossa as its contact person in Belluno; Don Francesco in Puglia at the departure of his last Goum on August 18, 2010; the day of the first communion; at the time of the seminary; with his parents on the day of his priestly ordination on April 16, 1983; Don Cassol with a “ladybug” of the European Scouts; Arson of Feltre. Blessing of the Cross erected by Masci; 15 August 2010: last mass at the scout camp of the Belluno 3 Department; the monolith erected on the spot where Don Francesco was killed.
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TWELVE YEARS AGO THE TRAGIC DISAPPEARANCE, IN APULIA OF DON FRANCESCO CASSOL RECORDED IN A BOOK