Curated by Gerolamo Fazzini (texts) and Mariangela Tentori (graphics).

 

The exhibition showcases the life of Father Augusto Gianola, Pime missionary from Lecco who died at the age of 60 in 1990. He was an unconventional priest who loved adventure, God and the poor. His memory is still strong and present in the hearts of people both in Italy and Brazil. Father Gianola combined the word of the Gospel and his service to mankind in a special way. Even though at the time the activity of committing oneself to social issues was often strictly linked to ideology, he never abandoned his faith in Christ: «We made our own revolution not with Marx, but holding the Gospel in our hands». In order to help his caboclos – mixed race between the Indians and white men – he taught them how to cultivate the soil, instead of only hunting and fishing. Together, they created the first agricultural communities, where people would share their goods and daily life, following the example of the first Christian communities. Father Gianola then created an agricultural school, which served as a model for the whole country.
Visitors will be able to go through Father Augusto’s own words (by reading excerpts from his letters and diaries) and they will realize he was an amazing explorer who always managed to open new pathways. The life of Father Augusto is seen as a never-ending search for God, even under extreme conditions at times (just like during the last few years of his life, when he lived in complete solitude in the Amazonian forest). His life, full of doubts and moments of crisis, shows us that every Christian shall never feel completely satisfied with their own faith, as we are all called on to test it over and over again.
The exhibition catalogue – which includes a short biography, a selection of texts written by father Gianola and a preface by Cardinal Angelo Scola – was published by Teka Edizioni from Lecco.