Br. Renato Tosatto, s.x.

He's not a Father... but Brother

Interview by Fr. Domenic Meneguzzi - from Missionari Saveriani

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Brother Renato Tosatto relaxes together with some men of a church community in Chad

Human Relationships can be beautiful: Renato Tosatto speaks of the mission in Chad. We welcomed the opportunity to ask him some questions and hear his witness of missionary life

You have been working for six years in Africa, specifically in Chad. Have you had many difficulties? What do you recall with the greatest satisfaction?

I arrived in Chad in the autumn of 1996. The first impression was of the poverty of the people there, as well as the different climate and living conditions. The people of Chad cultivate the soil by hand at a subsistence level and so, as a consequence, their production is very limited. There are no industries nor paved roads, nor electric energy nor telephones. However, in spite of all this, I immediately felt myself at home because the people are so welcoming and generous. They are willing to share the little that they have. Besides, they taught us their language and their culture which are indispensable in order to live and communicate with them.

You are not a priest but you are indeed a missionary in the fullest sense. What did you do that was “different” that caused you to be loved by the people? Tell us some of your experiences.

I have grown close to them, both the Christians as well as the non Christians who form the majority. As a fact, a mere 2% of the population is Christian. I must share with you that my people, the Mussey, have adopted me. They have become my second family. 

Being a missionary Brother, that is, not an ordained priest, has been no problem for me in my contact with the people. Quite the contrary, this difference has been a richness for me. I have shared with my priest companions our life and our work on equal terms, always working as a team. Together we have gone out to visit the villages, together we have formed the catechists and the leaders of the communities. We have labored to develop leadership activities with the youth whether catechumen or Christian; we have formed reflection groups which, in sharing the Gospel message, strive to better their lives. Besides all this, I personally worked with small programs of sustainable development, that is, in projects managed and carried forward by the people themselves. Thanks to a continuing work of animation and raising awareness, the people are digging wells and constructing small storage bins to conserve foodstuffs for times of scarcity which regularly afflict the population of Chad. In this way I came into contact with many families and got to know their daily life at a basic level. I have grown close to them, both the Christians as well as the non Christians who form the majority. As a fact, a mere 2% of the population is Christian. I must share with you that my people, the Mussey, have adopted me. They have become my second family. 

In your opinion, what can the people of Chad teach us? 

Our Christians teach us to translate the Gospel into our choices and our concrete actions. For example, it is significant that the traditional proverbs of the people there have been influenced by the Word of Jesus. Then you have the case of their great commitment. The first and the truest missionaries are the people themselves. They are the ones who carry the Gospel proclamation to their brothers and then call on us to visit new villages that we had not known previously. Besides, the communities are practically in their hands. They are the ones who take care of the funerals, of the preparation for matrimony, of the liturgy of the Word, of visits to and help for the sick, etc. We limit ourselves to formation and organization. We cannot get to all the sites; we are only three missionaries for 64 villages! 

What experiences would you like to tell us about? What experience has made the deepest impact on you? 

I’d like to tell you about the friendship that I had with a young family. In our land, in Chad, the sun sets at six o’clock and we usually are in bed by nine at night. One night—it was about nine-thirty—I was already asleep when a boy came to call at my door telling me that my friend and neighbor wanted me to come to him. I got up grumbling but I did set off and found myself taking part in a family council. The elders had met to counsel my neighbor about the problems that he was having with his wife. Since I was the youngest present, I listened to the different opinions without intervening myself. Finally, when I was alone with my friend, I asked him why he had called me. His answer touched me deeply. He explained that his older brothers lived far away and for that reason he considered me to be his elder brother. As such, we expected me to advise him about all that we had listened to. This was, I think, the most beautiful experience that I have had up to that time—the discovery of the richness of human relations freely given that my people are capable of giving. 

Interview by Fr. Domenic Meneguzzi (from Missionari Saveriani) » More