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.
1 comment:
As an Aspirant in Paterson during high school and young Salesian Brother from 1960 until 1970 I was first a student then a concrete of Brother Bruno.
He was always an example of what a Salesian should be and I have even as an ordained Permanent Deacon here in Boston I have tried to emulate his dedication and work ethic...87 and still active!
Deacon Neil Sumner
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