Donato, how would you describe yourself?
I am a simple Salesian brother and I prefer to be called simply Donato. I chose to be a brother rather than a priest so that I could be closer to the young people. When one is a priest, people might feel little bit of distance, but when they see you as one of them, they feel free to approach you. That’s why I am happy to be a brother.
How about this choice of coming to Ethiopia?
Actually, there was a need in the missions of Brazil. But since I was the only child in my family, going that far was difficult. Then there was a need in Ethiopia. First it was in Dilla and then a year later, in Zway. My life was lived in poverty till the age of 28 and therefore my strength for the missionary choice came from my own life. I opted to come to Ethiopia to give a future to the poor youth of Ethiopia through oratory and teaching drawing. I have been doing this for the past thirty years, 12 in Zway and 18 in Mekanissa, Addis Ababa.
How do you see these thirty years of your life that you have lived in Ethiopia?
I have been very happy for these years of my life in Ethiopia. In Ethiopia I feel that I have been able to live the “Cuore Oratoriano”, the oratorian heart. To be near the poor, the needy, being with children has always been my joy. In Ethiopia I have been able to live fully the ‘Grace of Unity’. The two poles – Passion for God and Compassion for Humanity – these two things go together through this energy which I call the “Grace of Unity”.
What are the things you see as challenges during your stay in Ethiopia?
The main challenge has been the problem of language. I never had time to go to school to learn the language. It has been just learned informally with children in the playground. With the study of Amharic, the English which I had learned in Liberia before coming to Ethiopia was forgotten. Other than the challenge of language, I didn’t have any other major challenges in Ethiopia.
Dear Donato, you have been a missionary for over thirty years, and almost 40 years as a Salesian, what is your advice to the Salesians of our province, especially to the young ones?
Learn to live the “Grace of Unity”. We have to learn the connection between the two poles that I spoke of early. The horizontal and the vertical dimension of our life – hands extended towards God and at the same time towards the young. This is fundamental for our life as Salesians and this “Grace of Unity” can be arrived at only through Personal Prayer, Family atmosphere and an Oratorian Heart.
