Bro. Bruno Busatto, SDB (1932-2019)

Bro. Bruno Busatto, SDB (1932-2019)

Bro. Bruno Busatto passed away early on April 24 at Montefiore Medical Center in New Rochelle after a brief illness. He was 86 years old and had been a Salesian brother since August 16, 1949.

Bro. Bruno in 2009

Bro. Bruno was born in Don Bosco’s city, Turin, on June 10, 1932. His parents, Giovanni and Antonia, had him baptized three days later. After finishing primary school in his little town of Castagneto in 1945, still suffering from the effects of World War II, he had what he calls “the good fortune” to enter the Salesian technical school at Colle Don Bosco, the hamlet where Don Bosco was born in 1815. He loved the Salesian brothers there and decided to become one. He entered the novitiate at Villa Moglia in Chieri and made his first profession of vows there.

Bro. Bruno taught printing at the big technical school in Colle for the next six years, specializing in color separation technology. As soon as he had made his perpetual profession in 1955, he came to the U.S. as a missionary because brothers were needed for the Salesian trade schools in Paterson, N.J., and Boston. He spent the next 47 years teaching and practicing the graphic arts (printing) to and with aspirants to the Salesian brotherhood at Don Bosco Tech in Paterson (1955-1961) and Don Bosco Juniorate in Haverstraw, N.Y. (1961-1969), then returned to DBT to teach the high school students there (1969-2002) and do some commercial printing as well for the benefit of the Salesian community.

Long-time friends and colleagues at Don Bosco Tech, Bro. Bruno and Bro. Bernie Zdanowicz

With the closure of DBT in 2002, Bro. Bruno changed career. For two years he served on the staff of Nativity Parish in Washington, D.C. (2002-2004). From 2004 until his death he was on the staff of Salesian Missions in New Rochelle, N.Y., working in the international relations department. He made several trips to Sierra Leone and Nigeria to help set up print shops in Salesian schools and also represented the director of Salesian Missions on various occasions in several countries. He loved his job in the mission office because he could do something practical to help Salesians in the mission fields all over the world.

Fr. Pascual Chavez, SDB rector major, making a point during a conversation with Bro. Bruno in 2007 when he was visiting the province

All his life Bro. Bruno was grateful to God and to Mary Help of Christians for his Salesian vocation, which he lived faithfully and with notable regularity. He was cherished by his former students, colleagues, numerous friends, and his confreres.

Fr. Anthony Mastroeni of the Paterson Diocese wrote: “I remember Brother Bruno from the Tech in Paterson. He also made the spiritual exercises [retreat] I was asked to direct two years ago in Haverstraw. What a sincere and gentle man, a Salesian who loved his vocation!”

Former SDB Fr. Roy Shelly of the Monterey Diocese observed, “He has gained his reward but the province has lost a treasure.”

Bro. Bruno’s funeral was celebrated on Friday, April 26, in the chapel of Salesian High School in New Rochelle. Fr. Mark Hyde preached the homily.  Brother was buried the following day in the Salesian Cemetery at Goshen, N.Y.