Luigi Petris, missionary to migrants.
"I recommend you prepare me 10 postcards, beautiful and significant place. And even the stamps, not all the same but different and in all sizes. " This was the recommendation of Bishop Petris in say hi and give me an appointment for the following day when, by plane and then by train, would have reached Switzerland to meet me and offer me to work more closely with Migrantes. 
In every place where he was going bother to write 10 postcards to witness and to reach people who write his message related by the signatures of all the friends I have met during his visit.
One way while simple and easy but significant: the opening missions of Italians abroad in the world, involving bishops, contacts, loved ones, to the great work he was doing.
course, as a missionary "true" what was his life, his breathing was to build bridges and relationships between people. The walking, travel, going abroad, the migration was the movement and physical constitution that prevented him and locking themselves into protectionism Migrantes structure for the conservation of "go to" other, different, foreign.
A fire burning deep within the passion aroused in everything lived: discussion, reflection, organization, coordination, design, testing, assisting, learning, contacts, research, combinations, attempts to solve problems, listening, recall, authoritative interventions, an approach to difficult situations. And everything was in focus, tenacity and a human understanding that was apparent from the ways, sometimes rather rough and dry, leaving a taste of mercy from God learned
Luigi Petris, born in 1939 died in Ampezzo, Udine on 21 December 2005 ending the long battle against the evil that has consumed his body bent but not his grit and determination in the mountain, even the man of the flesh. His ordination took place
in 1963 brought him immediately among the youth of Pontebba where he worked for four years with dynamism and inventiveness.
Son of a land that witnessed a great migration was sent to work with migrants in the autumn of 1967 and thus reached the Saar region in southwestern Germany to the Italian Catholic Mission Saarbrueken where he learned to work as a missionary in emigration from a priest who was a friend before the teacher: Mgr. Ascanio Micheloni, witness still alive.
He worked for 12 years by responding to the needs of the people and is committed to human and Christian formation of children by enforcing a network of fifteen "Afterschool" Italian for 1,300 boys. He supported the association around the mission with particular attention to the dialogue for integration into the local Church and wise in the host society. He also discovered the importance of the media and supported the local newspapers and, in particular, "The Courier of Italy" Italian weekly in Germany.
In 1981 he was asked to delegate the service to the Italian missionaries in Germany and Scandinavia to coordinate the 130 Italian priests, 90 Catholic missions in the service of 500,000 Italian immigrants.
Dialogue with the German dioceses, together with the Italian Church, friendship with the Italian priests, strong training programs to priests, religious and laity, are the activities that absorb and enthusiasm for 10 years.
In 1991 he was summoned to Rome at Migrantes, the Foundation of the CEI, as National Director for the pastoral care of Italian migrants in the world. In 1995 the Permanent Council of CEI he was appointed General Manager of the Foundation. He learned to love with the same intensity as Italian immigrants, foreign immigrants in Italy, Roma and Sinti, fieranti and circus, sea and airport. "In his first sermon to young priest had to say:" This I ask the Lord remain faithful or every day of my life. " A faith that translated in attention to the faithful and industrious person and the family of the migrant. This was Don Luigi Petris, a priest from Friuli, a passionate missionary to the side of migrants.
In every place where he was going bother to write 10 postcards to witness and to reach people who write his message related by the signatures of all the friends I have met during his visit.
One way while simple and easy but significant: the opening missions of Italians abroad in the world, involving bishops, contacts, loved ones, to the great work he was doing.
course, as a missionary "true" what was his life, his breathing was to build bridges and relationships between people. The walking, travel, going abroad, the migration was the movement and physical constitution that prevented him and locking themselves into protectionism Migrantes structure for the conservation of "go to" other, different, foreign.
A fire burning deep within the passion aroused in everything lived: discussion, reflection, organization, coordination, design, testing, assisting, learning, contacts, research, combinations, attempts to solve problems, listening, recall, authoritative interventions, an approach to difficult situations. And everything was in focus, tenacity and a human understanding that was apparent from the ways, sometimes rather rough and dry, leaving a taste of mercy from God learned
Luigi Petris, born in 1939 died in Ampezzo, Udine on 21 December 2005 ending the long battle against the evil that has consumed his body bent but not his grit and determination in the mountain, even the man of the flesh. His ordination took place
in 1963 brought him immediately among the youth of Pontebba where he worked for four years with dynamism and inventiveness.
Son of a land that witnessed a great migration was sent to work with migrants in the autumn of 1967 and thus reached the Saar region in southwestern Germany to the Italian Catholic Mission Saarbrueken where he learned to work as a missionary in emigration from a priest who was a friend before the teacher: Mgr. Ascanio Micheloni, witness still alive.
He worked for 12 years by responding to the needs of the people and is committed to human and Christian formation of children by enforcing a network of fifteen "Afterschool" Italian for 1,300 boys. He supported the association around the mission with particular attention to the dialogue for integration into the local Church and wise in the host society. He also discovered the importance of the media and supported the local newspapers and, in particular, "The Courier of Italy" Italian weekly in Germany.
In 1981 he was asked to delegate the service to the Italian missionaries in Germany and Scandinavia to coordinate the 130 Italian priests, 90 Catholic missions in the service of 500,000 Italian immigrants.
Dialogue with the German dioceses, together with the Italian Church, friendship with the Italian priests, strong training programs to priests, religious and laity, are the activities that absorb and enthusiasm for 10 years. In 1991 he was summoned to Rome at Migrantes, the Foundation of the CEI, as National Director for the pastoral care of Italian migrants in the world. In 1995 the Permanent Council of CEI he was appointed General Manager of the Foundation. He learned to love with the same intensity as Italian immigrants, foreign immigrants in Italy, Roma and Sinti, fieranti and circus, sea and airport. "In his first sermon to young priest had to say:" This I ask the Lord remain faithful or every day of my life. " A faith that translated in attention to the faithful and industrious person and the family of the migrant. This was Don Luigi Petris, a priest from Friuli, a passionate missionary to the side of migrants.
Domenico Locatelli
Migrantes
National Director for Italians in the world
