Farewell to Don Giorgio, the priest without frontiers

Pain was not the only feeling shared by the large crowd that attended the funeral of the priest of Ponte Tresa, Don Giorgio Quaglia, this morning. Above all, there was a unanimous feeling of gratitude for his ministry and his testimony, which he had also been able to inspire in his parishioners. With his performance of the sacraments, from christenings, to the extreme unction, with, above all, his humanity, which was never taken for granted or repetitive, but always genuine and helpful. His solidarity with the poor was his way of life, from the lunches he prepared every day for anyone in need, to the contributions of money to anyone who rang his doorbell, to pay the bills, the rent, for medicines, etc. Thanks to his intense work, the parish church had been completed, the access ramp for children and the elderly had been built, and clothes and food had been distributed to those who needed them. Lately, he had been seeing to the installation of an organ with 1106 pipes, which had been purchased second hand, in Germany.

This morning, the church was packed, with several people having to remain in the square outside, to follow the proceedings which were officiated over by the Bishop of Como, Monsignor Coletti, assisted by over forty priests from the Diocese. The relatives agreed that the remains of Don Giorgio should be buried in the cemetery in his parish, and not in Clivio, the village where he was born. The Mayor, Pietro Roncoroni, associations and simple friends wanted to bid their final farewells, with writings, anecdotes and thanks. The vicar forane described Don Giorgio as “the priest without frontiers”, because of his missionary work in Argentina, from 1979 to 2000, and because of his tireless work of humanity and solidarity.