Martyr in China

Chapter 2. Departure for China

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The Xaverian Community with its Founder Guido Conforti (in the center) and Caio Rastelli at his right

During the summer, in the country house that Conforti had rented for his students in Vigatto, the young Vice-rector pushed the smallest students on a swing, and each time he would call out the names of all the ports to which, in his imagination, the ship would take him: “Aden!… Colombo!… Singapore!… Manila!… Hong Kong!… Shangai!…”

The day of their departure, March 4, 1899, finally arrived: the great reception room of the Bishop residence had been converted into a chapel for the occasion; a portrait of Saint Francis Xavier, patron of the community, dominated the end wall where an altar had been set up. A great number of people took part, with the parents of the departing missionaries sitting in tears in the first row together with all their relatives.

Conforti celebrated the Mass and Bishop Magani presented the crucifix to each one of the young missionaries, addressing paternal words of farewell to them. His voice betrayed his emotions, similar to those of a father who knows that he will never see his sons again: in those days, the missionaries left never to return.  And, besides, everyone knew of the upheaval in China, the anti-European demonstrations and the murder of some missionaries.

The bishop spoke of the parents’ suffering, the hardships of missionary life and the possibility of martyrdom. He then embraced each one of the departing missionaries with paternal affection and said: “I entrust you to the protection of the archangel Raphael whose golden image adorns the bell tower”.

It was then the turn of the parents and relatives to say farewell. The new missionaries left on a landau pulled by two horses, followed by other nine carriages which escorted them from the train station to Genoa.  Shortly after midday their train departed, accompanied by general applause and the stifled sobs of their relatives. 

Fr. Caio Rastelli, top left, with his brother Pietro, and his parents Antonio and Giuseppina, before his departure for China

Learning about the Chinese Culture

They left from two different ports and on different days: Rastelli sailed from Genoa on March 7 on the German steamboat “Prinz Heinrich”, together with the four Chinese seminarians and a Franciscan brother, Andrea Bauer. Manini left from Marseilles on March 12, with Francis Fogolla who had, in the meantime, been appointed auxiliary bishop of Gregory Grassi, the Apostolic Vicar of the Mission. Two young fathers and four Franciscan students also traveled with them. The group was completed by ten Franciscan Missionary sisters of Mary, seven of whom were assigned to the mission of the Shanxi.

Conforti had written to bishop Fogolla, entrusting Rastelli and Manini to his care: “Look upon them as your own sons in Jesus Christ, and treat them with generous charity and benign forbearance”. He had given Rastelli a letter for the Apostolic Vicar Grassi, in which he wrote: “I commend to you the first two missionaries of the humble Congregation of Saint Francis Xavier; they are as dear to me as my own soul, and any kindness that Your Excellency may show towards them I will consider as done to me personally”.

They touched the ports they had called out while pushing the swing at the country house in Vigatto; they also had the quite frightening experience of a rather violent storm. Manini, who was a more emotional type, described the incident as if the ship had come close to sinking on more than one occasion; Rastelli, instead, just made a passing mention of it.

I commend to you the first two missionaries of the humble Congregation of Saint Francis Xavier; they are as dear to me as my own soul, and any kindness that Your Excellency may show towards them I will consider as done to me personally.
Bishop Conforti

They reached Shanghai on April 15 and their transformation began: they had to become Chinese! Their measurements were taken by a skilled tailor and the appropriate clothing was ready in a few hours; they were also given a small round black beret that, besides covering their head, also kept in place the plait of hair that was an indispensable part of their identity as newly adopted sons of China. It is no exaggeration to call them adopted sons, since  these young missionaries really had chosen China as their new homeland forever.

They had, therefore, to become Chinese, but they were like newly born Chinese children, unable to speak or understand the language. From the very first day they applied themselves to study.

On May 1, they arrived in Taiyuan, the capital of the Shanxi province and the apostolic Vicariate; they were welcomed in the grand residence that was home to the bishop, an orphanage for abandoned baby girls, a school and a rudimentary first-aid clinic. Faced with the urgent medical needs of the people, Odoardo Manini was forced to neglect somewhat his language study and began working in the first-aid center.

Rastelli, instead, channeled all his energies into learning the ideographic characters and the many different ways in which they could be pronounced.

It wasn’t an easy task and they were urgently needed in the mission. Bishop Fogolla wrote to the Founder: “As soon as Father Caio has a sufficient knowledge of the language, he will probably be sent to some district in need of a missionary, since these alone are recognized and accepted by the Mandarins”.

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