(ANS – Cuiabá) – Fr Paulo Fernando Vendrame and Fr Giulio Boffi, dfrom Brazil-Campo Grande Province (BCG), received recognition on 3 April last from the Cuiabá city council, as part of commemorations for the Mato Grosso city's 294 years. The awards were presented during a ceremony at the Hotel Fazenda Mato Grosso, and proposed by Councillor Fernando Arilson da Silva, a Salesian past pupil.

City Hall recognised a number of people whose work in the capital has contributed to its economic, social, political and religious development, and granted honorary citizenship to the awardees. This included the Rector of the Salesian São Gonçalo school, Fr Giulio Boffi and the Youth Ministry coordinator, Fr Pablo Fernando Vendrame.

The letter signed by the Council indicated the reasons for the award: “for their important work for young people in our capital city. Like Don Bosco, the Lord entrusted the welfare of young people to them, and they carried out an energetic and committed ministry for their Catholic, Christian and social education. Because they dedicated themselves to forming ‘good Christians and upright citizens’, hopes for a new and just society have been reawakened amongst us”.

Fr Giulio Boffi is originally from Morbegno, Italy. He was born on 9 March 1942, and was professed as a Salesian on 16 August 1967 at Missaglia. He then studied and worked in Brazil before his ordination as a priest on 7 December 1974 at Sondrio, Italy. He has been a Rector and parish priest of various works in the BCG province.

Fr Paulo Fernando Vendrame Bertran was born on 13 June 1967 at Piacatu, Brazil. He made his first profession as a Salesian on 31 January 1987 at Odessa, in the Ukraine, and was ordained priest in the city of his birth in 1995. He has carried out his mission to young people in various parts of Brazil as a Rector, Councillor, and Provincial Economer.

Archbishop Bonifacio Piccinini, sdb, Archbishop Emeritus of Cuiabá was also at the ceremony. He was Auxiliary Bishop between 1975 and 1981 and Archbishop from 1981 to 2004.

Published 08/04/2013