Martyr in Brazil

Chapter 5. Two Priests for the Youth

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Fr. Antonello Matteo and Fr. Salvatore Deiana, during a celebration of the Eucharist

In September 1985, Father Matteo Antonello came to help Salvatore. The new arrival was young and enthusiastic and he wrote about his first encounters with the new parish: “Upon my arrival, Salvatore took me to visit the parish. He helped me to settle in and grasp the nature of the main local problems and challenges: work with the young people, preparation for baptisms and marriage. He lived in a small, old hut made of mud with a wooden roof. The house was frequented by the people, especially young people, who wished to speak with the priest”.

The two priests looked after the young people of the parish, wrote new liturgical songs and did heavy manual work. Salvatore’s typical Sardinian temperament, occasionally stubborn, sometimes led to misunderstandings, but these soon blew over. He planned to build a new parish because the existing one was too small. It had been spoken about for some time and Salvatore decided the time had come to act.

He invented various schemes to finance the purchase of bricks for the new building; he also received help on various occasions from his home parish. At the time of his funeral, the church was still under construction. In the meantime, he pressed ahead with the building project. 

With four parishes to look after, we have set up some small teams in the town to carry on with the activities. We shall soon have a new pastoral center for the entire diocese. There are only a few of us involved in this but we press ahead and hope for the best. In any case, we are a hive of new ideas and initiatives.
Fr. Salvatore Deiana

On March 19, 1985, he wrote to a friend: “My parish, which has a population of almost 30,000 inhabitants, is working wonderfully. More than a thousand people take part in the catechesis and the groups, and the numbers are increasing. Yesterday, I had a meeting with 130 young people of the parish. We are forming leaders for future leadership in the community. I often come back home late in the evening and I still must study until 2 am to prepare meetings and draw up the work schedules.

Here the people are very available; all they need is help to get organized and someone to monitor their progress. With four parishes to look after, we have set up some small teams in the town to carry on with the activities. We shall soon have a new pastoral center for the entire diocese. There are only a few of us involved in this but we press ahead and hope for the best. In any case, we are a hive of new ideas and initiatives. I am up to my neck in work and I wish to continue like this. I am also in charge of the pastoral work with youth and it is beginning to pay off. It is a great pleasure for me to see how this young church is making great progress in spite of its lack of experience. I would like to see some of the important people of the Vatican in our place”.

Church of Immaculate Conception in Altamira, which Fr. Salvatore Deiana started

The Church is too small

Three months later, he wrote to his sister Antonietta and her husband: “Easter was a very demanding period, especially the preparation. However, everything went well and I am now enjoying a well earned rest. Everyone tells me that I am working too hard, but if I don’t do it now that I am still young, when will I get around to it? I am giving it my best and I am very satisfied with the results. I spoke with the bishop recently, and he too told me that I am doing a great job and he also encouraged me to keep up the good work.

The people have also expressed their appreciation. Soon we will begin to build the new church, the plans are ready! The church we use now is too small for the people who attend. Last Saturday, every chair was occupied. There are so many activities that I cannot supervise them all. On Easter Sunday, I celebrated Mass at 7.30 am; afterwards, there were 25 baptisms, followed by an exhibition of the children’s drawings. In the evening, we traveled by lorry to the local mental hospital to spend Easter with the patients, then we had a meeting and another Mass in the evening.

Holy Week was also a real spectacle. The church was so full that people were thronging around the altar; I almost couldn’t move. We held the Vigil Mass in the open air. Unfortunately, we have many problems here. The rich are increasingly exploiting the poor. We have made our position known and have protested many times about it. It is a very dangerous situation! The bishop has often received threats, but the people are on our side and it is interesting now to see them stand up for their own rights”.

Rector of the seminary

At the beginning of 1986, Salvatore was asked to take charge of the seminary in Altamira. He was not yet 30 years old and, besides, he had a lot of work to do in the parish. The bishop, however, would not take no for an answer. Salvatore described the situation: “The problem is that the work load is increasing and the responsibilities are getting heavier.

Now I have been asked to take on the job of rector in the seminary. I resisted as long as I could because I did not want to accept the job at all. The bishop had already asked me previously. In the end I had to give in, though I did not want to leave the parish. Since the work there is well underway, I have been left with the two jobs, the seminary and the parish. I finished moving today and, to tell the truth, I still feel somewhat strange in this large modern study lined with bookshelves.

I am in charge of 16 young students whose ages range from 15 to 24. I did not want to leave the parish where I was perfectly happy and at home. Now that I am here, I shall do my best to avoid a nervous breakdown before I am old”.

At 30 years of age, Salvatore was parish priest and rector of the seminary. He worked hard to make the seminary a family. Prayer, study, work, and relaxation were done in a brotherly atmosphere. He established the practice of a common fund for the seminarians and gave them a good example of how to work hard. He always used to tell the seminarians that they should never waste time because a priest’s life was very demanding in the modern world. In addition to his many responsibilities, he was also a youth animator and editor of the diocesan newspaper. He pushed himself hard, almost to the limit. In the final stage of his life, he began to speak about letting go of the parish. 

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