On January 18th, the book launch for "Father Tiboni, one of the holiest men we have" was held at St. Mary's Parish Centre in Sandyford Village, Dublin. The event, which commemorated the centenary of Father Pietro Tiboni's birth, drew an attentive audience of approximately 60 people, including members of the Irish Comboni Missionaries. It was an opportunity to meet the author of the book, Filippo Ciantia, as well as get to know this “holy man” and how we may, like him, embrace the same taste of new life he experienced living his vocation.

A Life of Service

Father Pietro Tiboni, a Comboni missionary born in 1925, dedicated his life to serving the people of Africa. His journey, marked by unwavering faith and a profound love for humanity, offers a powerful testament to the transformative power of Christian service.

His life was deeply intertwined with the lives of those he served. He cared for the sick and the poor. He dedicated his life to teaching and to his students. His impact didn’t go unnoticed among the local community in Uganda and in South Sudan. In fact many of his students later became bishops and cardinals, reflecting his commitment to nurturing future leaders of the Church.

An Encounter That Changed Everything

A pivotal moment in Fr Tiboni's life was his encounter with the movement of Communion and Liberation. At first his encounter was with a group of “strange” young lay missionary doctors in Uganda. He was struck by how they put Jesus at the centre of everything and how they lived communion among themselves. Despite the hardships he was impressed by the enthusiasm and joy with which they faced each circumstance. Later on he met Mons. Luigi Giussani, founder of the Communion and Liberation (CL) movement. This encounter ignited a new passion within him and ever since then his concern was to understand what happened and how he could best follow.



A Legacy of Love and Friendship

Tiboni's legacy extends beyond his missionary work or the Christian community that transcended racial and tribal divisions. He was known for his deep friendships, nurturing connections with people from all walks of life. His friendship with Giussani, as well as his close relationships with the poor and marginalised, exemplify the importance of human connection in his life and ministry.

Tiboni increasingly widened his missionary “range of action” and became the soul of CL spreading from Uganda to Kenya, Rwanda, and Burundi, involving people and groups in apparently lost situations, allowing joy and peace to be reborn and flourish in the desert of violence and misery. He became such a well-known and authoritative figure that for many years he was one of the most popular guests at the Meeting for Friendship among Peoples in Rimini.

He left the leadership of CL to his Ugandan friends and followed their growth like a true father, entrusting them to others. He was sure that the Other, his great friend and master, would always accomplish what he started.

After a long illness, he died at 9.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 13 June 2017, at Lacor hospital in Gulu. He was buried in the Church of Christ the King in Kitgum, on a clear and sunny day, embraced by a crowd of friends who, like us, are grateful to God for the gift of his life. Looking at the people surrounding the coffin like a crown of glory, Rose Busingye thought about his fatherhood:

"More a father to me than my own father, he helped me understand the meaning of my natural ties, of everything… a powerful means to know God".



A Life Well-Lived

Father Pietro Tiboni's life serves as an inspiration to all who seek to live a life of service and compassion. His unwavering faith, his dedication to others, and his enduring legacy of love and friendship continues to inspire generations. As Father Giussani later wrote to him in 2000: “Your existence is a moving testimony of the desire for Christ to be known by every man, lived in the circumstances as an abandonment and an obedience that renews the ‘yes’ of Mary, to which you taught us to consecrate ourselves at every moment. The miraculous fruits that have marked and mark the story of the Movement in Africa pass through your humble paternity.”



*Act of consecration of our lives to Christ through Mary, that the Church become a source of new life for all the peoples.

Mary,
You are the Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Communion Your Son is granting us,
as a gift ever new and powerful,
which is a taste of new life.
Through You we hereby consecrate our whole selves,
all the kinds of joys and sufferings
Your Son will choose for us,
and our very lives,
So that You become the Mother of Life
and that Christ give all
the same taste of new life He has given us. Amen