Vittorio Pastori was born on April 15th
1926 in Varese, Lombardy.
In the early 1950s,
Vittorio Pastori opened in his city a renowned restaurant, devoting himself to
a thriving commercial activity that kept him busy for 15 years. It's here, in
Varese, that Vittorio met mons. Enrico Manfredini in 1966, who handed him the task
of Administrator of the Basilica, as well as the responsibility of Diocesan
Typography and parish works.
The friendship
between the two had been strengthening over the years, so much that in 1969 Mons.
Manfredini, designated Bishop of Piacenza, invited Don Vittorio to follow
him: the restaurateur accepted enthusiastically, quitting his business activity to
fulfill the role of Administrative Secretary of Bishop's canteen, Seminary
Treasurer, and Director of a home of spiritual exercises.
In this period, he
met a certain number of African Bishops. He then visited Uganda, Kenya,
Tanzania and other countries in the Sub-Saharan continent, being deeply
affected by local people's life conditions and by the work carried out by the
Catholic Church and its operators (friars, nuns, doctors, volunteers).
His awareness
turned into instant anxiety to materially help these people, educating Italians on the reality of these areas and by
raising finance as well as in-kind resources (ploughs, tractors and
mechanical, agricultural and medical tools) and shipping them from Italy to
Uganda.
In 1972, he founded with some friends the association AFRICA MISSION and
continued his activity of "charity commuter" between Italy and Africa. At the same time, he
founded together with Honorable Giulio Andreotti and Mons. Enrico Manfredini the
"Friends of Uganda Committee", based in Piacenza. Massive help was being
brought to Africa, by all the shipments, whether they were made by air or by
sea.
In 1982 "COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT" is founded. With its professional
technicians it started drilling new drinking-water wells, and fixing those
already existing.
On December 16th
1983 Mons. Manfredini suddenly died in Bologna. A hard and bitter experience
for Vittorio, who, however, continued his work and fulfilled a deep and long
awaited desire: on September 15th 1984 Vittorio Pastori is ordained
Priest by HE Mons. Cipriano Kihangire, Bishop of Gulu.
"Poor people can't
wait. The hungry are hungry right now". As a priest, DonVittorio carried on
his mission at the service of the hungry and the outcasts, especially in the
Third World, without separating spiritual and material aspects. As and when
needed, DonVittorio spent long periods in Uganda, coming back to Italy to Christian
communities and groups.
Until 1988, he had
travelled 137 times to Africa: here he met President Museweni and Mother Teresa
of Calcutta, with whom he started a bridge of solidarity. In the meantime, he
inaugurated in Moroto "the Citadel of charity", that will after be dedicated to
his memory in front of the president of Ugandan Episcopal Conference Mons. Emmanuel Wamala and the Apostolic Nuncio Mons.
Rauber
On April 12th 1989, Don Vittorio
concelebrated the Holy Mass with the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, in Rome.
1994 marks, however, Don Vittorio's 147th
and last trip to Uganda. On September 2nd, that year, Don Vittorio Pastori died after a long stay at St.Giacomo clinic in Ponte Dell'Olio
(PC).
