World's Oldest Salesian Turns 107

World’s Oldest Salesian Turns 107

(ANS – Caracas – March 2) – Giuseppe Berno was born on Feb. 14, 1911, in Riese (today known as Riese Pio X, in honor of its most illustrious citizen, Giuseppe Sarto, Pius X, who was Pope from 1903 to 1914). Mama Antonia Berno chose the bambino’s name: “He will be called Bepi, like the Pope, because I want my son to be a priest, like him.”

And in fact, Giuseppe became a Salesian priest and has lived to celebrate 107 birthdays, by more than 3 years the oldest Salesian in the Congregation.

The Fr. Giuseppe entered the Salesians at Legnano and went on to Trent for his first years of formation and preparation for the novitiate. He made his first religious profession in Este on Sept. 1, 1929. In that same year, just 18 years old, he asked to leave as a missionary for Venezuela, a country that would become his second homeland.

Bro. Giuseppe, who had become “José,” made his perpetual vows on September 11, 1932, and was ordained a priest on Oct. 30, 1938, feast of Christ the King, at La Vega (Caracas) by Apb. Luigi Centoz, the country's apostolic nuncio.

In 1961, already aged 50, Fr. José was invited by the then-vicar apostolic of the Amazon and Upper Orinoco, Bp. Segundo Garcia, to work as a missionary in those lands. He accepted immediately and unconditionally. He spent the first 7 years in Puerto Ayacucho, the episcopal see and capital of the Venezuelan Amazon. Then, together with Fr. Cocco and Fr. Bonvecchio, he journeyed into the virgin forest of the Venezuelan Amazon and stayed there uninterruptedly for 20 years!

Fr. José was called to travel into the hostile forest, its overflowing rivers and the thousands and thousands of natural channels of water. Everything was done to everyone, as Saint Paul said, to try to attract some to the Gospel.

He became famous for his maps of the Upper Orinoco, his study of native languages, and his interpretation of the signs and sounds of those cultures during those 20 years. In 1987, at the age of 76, he returned to Puerto Ayacucho, and from 1990 to 2009 was parochial vicar. Nearing 100 years of age, he was transferred to Caracas in 2009.

His life is a testimony of fidelity and generous dedication to the service of God and men for 88 years as a Salesian and a missionary in Venezuela, and 79 years as a priest.