RIP: 22/05/2023 - Jundiai (BR)
Fr. Fernando Vitorino Rizzardo was born on 7 June 1951 in the municipality of Passo Fundo in the north of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. After his primary and secondary school in Videira and Conchas, he joined the Salvatorian Novitiate in 1973 in the recently founded Instituto Padre Jordan at Vila Mariana in Sao Paulo. He professed his first vows in the Society of the Divine Saviour, through the Brazilian Province on 24 February 1974. He studied Philosophy at the Anchieta Faculty in Sao Paulo and Theology at the Instituto Teológico Sao Paulo. He was ordained to the priesthood on 28 February 1981, the centenary of the Society, by Mons. Claudio Kolling, Bishop of the Diocese of Passo Fundo – RS. Fr. Fernando was characterized by his firm wish to embrace fully the apostolate that was entrusted to him. He worked as a vicar and parish priest in different parishes. He preached frequent retreats to Lay-Salvatorians and parishioners. Internally, in the Salvatorian community, he was very much engaged in formation, especially initial formation. He was responsible in different stages of formation in different formation houses. He coordinated the provincial formation commission from 1999 until 2001 and always showed a deep concern and love for formation. From the beginning of the third millennium Fr. Fernando began a long process of Parkinson’s disease, that became increasingly visible and from which he suffered greatly. His community, formandi and the faithful accompanied with dedication Fr. Fernando on this road of suffering, which never could extinguish his apostolic zeal and love for the Society. Fr. Fernando died on 22 May 2023 in Jundiai. He was 71 years old and had been professed as a Salvatorian for 49 years.
