EUROPE/ITALY - Italian St John of God Brother, the first surgeon to help African children with polio, among winners of 2004 Cuore Amico annual missionary award to be presented on 23 October

Friday, 24 September 2004

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Brescia (Fides Service) - Until now “Cuore Amico” Fraternity Onlus started in 1991, has assigned its annual missionary award to a priest, a nun and a layperson. This year a Brother has been added to the list. The award, which includes a prize of 200.000 Euro, is the only one of its nature in the country and its aim is to make known the valid and often silent and unnoticed service offered by thousands of Italian missionaries all over the world who day in day out, sustained by unswerving faith and by authentic love for others, offer help and comfort to brothers and sisters in difficult conditions.
The priest winner this year is Father Francesco Cavazzuti of Carpi diocese, on mission in Brazil for the past thirty-five years. He set out as a fidei donum priest in 1969, because of his commitment to help the poor and people robbed of their land, in 1972 he risked being expelled from Brazil. On 27 August 1987 he was shot in the face and lost his sight. Nevertheless he is still with his people proclaiming and witnessing to the Gospel.
The Brother winner is Fiorenzo Priuli of the St John of God Brothers, a surgeon in Benin and Togo. He was the first to try to alleviate the suffering of African children paralysed with polio. To fight AIDS he has launched a programme based on local medicine and is very active in dealing with Buruli, also called ‘new leprosy’.
The award goes also to Sister Umbertina Carrogu of the Ursuline Sisters of Somasca, at present on mission in Bolivia after serving 20 years in India. She has helped many people, of all races and creeds, find new hope for the future forming women’s groups, opening schools of various grades, organising micro-credit projects for small businesses.
The lay winner is Prof. Andrea Riccardi, founder of the S. Egidio community. Finally, special mention is made of Rev. Palmiro Donini from Brescia diocese, for 40 years a missionary doctor in Uganda.
Religious and civil authorities will attend the prize-giving ceremony in Brescia at the Diocesan Museum, Saturday 23 October the eve of World Mission Sunday. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 24/9/2004; righe 27; parole 370)