But if we look more attentively, we can see the thousand colors that Artemide’s goodness had. In him, the good man was: a sense of faith, trust, extreme dedication, closeness, concrete attention, good humor, tenacity, genius, lively brotherhood, provocative testimony, meekness even in hard trials... And we call him a "good man" also because he was able to discover the face of the Lord directly in the sufferings and needs of the sick, the poor, the discarded of his time. With a joyful face, he was able to catch a glimpse of God in the poor, sick, young people and adults, making his life a clear realization of the recognition of Jesus, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Mt 25:40).
Among us, in Argentina, the best you can say about a person is just that: he or she is a “good” person. Simple people want to recognize by this expression those who are truly coherent, without duplicity, "de una sola pieza," they say, of one piece. You can rest assured that you can always and everywhere count on them. This is how the citizens of Viedma had perceived our holy brother. Seeing him riding his legendary bicycle, someone said, "There goes an angel," but another corrected him, "No, Zatti is a real man, of flesh and bone." In fact, it was affirmed that Artemide was no more and no less than "the relative of all the poor." He reminds us of the "just man" or "faithful man" of the Bible.
I had the opportunity to meet several Salesian brothers who had lived with our Artemide. There was a common feeling among them that Zatti was indeed a Salesian saint… because very normal!!! His "goodness," one once told me, could be perceived in his clear, grave and powerful voice with which he prayed or sang in Church, but also joked in the refectory or chatted fraternally in the courtyard. Another recalled, "He was able to share a profound sensitivity of faith with the natural joyfulness of a joke." All agreed that a familiar appellation that combines goodness and simplicity in great measure suited him: "Don Zatti was bonachón – a nice guy."
I would like to share with you two facts about this goodness of Artemis related to my life. The first dates back to the time of my vocational decisions when in discernment I began to understand that the Lord (and circumstances) were calling me as a Salesian coadjutor. My spiritual companion told me to conclude that stage by making my parents aware of my vocational desires. Some time before, I had sent them, by post (sounds like something out of the Old Testament to us today), a couple of small pages with a biographical mention of Artemide Zatti. I went home not knowing how to share my questions about the vocation. Directly I said to Mom and Dad, "Well, we Salesians have two ways of dedicating ourselves to young people; I would like to choose one, as a Salesian brother who..." And immediately, almost over my words, my father added, "Like Don Zatti, the nurse from Patagonia!!!" There was nothing more to say. Artemide had entered his heart by smoothing the way for me before my explanations. Zatti had already struck and fascinated them. It was a great joy for them that their son was thinking about the Salesian vocation in the style of that "good man."
The second episode happened several years later. My father was very ill with Alzheimer's disease, hospitalized. We were allowed to keep him company all the time. One night it fell to me to spend it with him and it was very hard. He seemed to be struggling to breathe and was very much in difficulty. Not knowing what to do to assist him, I approached his side and began to speak in his ear, "Come on, Dad, let it be, don't strain yourself like that. You've done a lot in life (good, bad, more or less) and that's enough already. Look Don Zatti is here, take his hand and let him lead you...." Actually, it is not that I had thought of saying those words; my heart simply spoke to me. I remember that little by little his labored breathing normalized and I think he remained asleep. In a couple of hours, my father would deliver his last sigh. I'm sure Artemide took him by the hand and with his broad smile under his mustache made my father feel "at home, in the family." That "good man" was doing "one of his" again.
"You made him a GOOD MAN...THANK YOU, LORD."
Testimony of Hugo Vera, Salesian coadjutor from Argentina
