Fr. Marsel Rante Taruk, SX
I came to know Fr. Marini for the first time in April 1997 when I was a postulant. That year there was a visit from the General Direction to Indonesia; the Visitors did come to see us and to spend a few days in the novitiate house of Bintaro, Jakarta . I was looking forward to meeting the General of the Xaverians and to knowing how he looked like. I imagined that the Superior General would be a priest with a long beard, tall and impressive, with an appearance that conveyed authority and personality. It happened that one Friday afternoon, while we were playing volley-ball, the ball went out of the field; all of a sudden, I saw a thin priest running to collect the ball, then he gave it back to us saying: “frater inilah bolanya” ( brothers, look here is the ball). One of the novices promptly replied: “Terima kasih Pater General” (thank you, Father General). The novice’s response took me by surprise and I said to him: “You must be joking... to call him Father General!" “He is the Superior General of the Xaverians, Fr. Francesco Marini”, he replied quite assuredly.
Yes… He was Fr. Francesco Marini, a truly simple person but with a big heart. My first encounter with him impressed by his example of simplicity and openness as a missionary and a brother. I saw that he was living out and manifesting the very words of Jesus: “whoever wishes to be great among you, will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.”
On Sunday, 24th of April 2016, I had another chance to meet Fr. Marini at the Mother House in Parma, together with Mr. Pak Raymond and his wife Grace, who came from Jakarta purposely to visit Fr. Marini. That was the last time for me to meet him and talk to him. There was a gleam of joy on his face when he saw us first. He welcomed us with a smile, a sincere and open smile, despite the suffering he was hiding. He looked happy at that moment and was enjoying the stories told by his friends Raymond and Grace. He knew that people loved him and expected him to go back to Indonesia as much as he himself did. He was still hoping to return to Indonesia in order to be able to share the joy of the Gospel, to cherish the beauty of creation and to spread peace among the people. “I wish to go back to Indonesia to meet and listen to the stories of many friends and confreres, but right now I am too weak. I can only wait, I am ready to accept anything in faith” he said with a very serene voice.
Yes, he was a great missionary, a great teacher, a man of great faith. We were blessed by his presence among us. It is true - and sad! - that we have lost another Francis… another great Xaverian, a special brother of our, but at the same time we thank God for giving our family a great example of a missionary totally consecrated to His Mission and to the Church.
“Selamat Jalan Pastor… berbahagialah dalam keabadiaNya”
I came to know Fr. Marini for the first time in April 1997 when I was a postulant. That year there was a visit from the General Direction to Indonesia; the Visitors did come to see us and to spend a few days in the novitiate house of Bintaro, Jakarta . I was looking forward to meeting the General of the Xaverians and to knowing how he looked like. I imagined that the Superior General would be a priest with a long beard, tall and impressive, with an appearance that conveyed authority and personality. It happened that one Friday afternoon, while we were playing volley-ball, the ball went out of the field; all of a sudden, I saw a thin priest running to collect the ball, then he gave it back to us saying: “frater inilah bolanya” ( brothers, look here is the ball). One of the novices promptly replied: “Terima kasih Pater General” (thank you, Father General). The novice’s response took me by surprise and I said to him: “You must be joking... to call him Father General!" “He is the Superior General of the Xaverians, Fr. Francesco Marini”, he replied quite assuredly.
Yes… He was Fr. Francesco Marini, a truly simple person but with a big heart. My first encounter with him impressed by his example of simplicity and openness as a missionary and a brother. I saw that he was living out and manifesting the very words of Jesus: “whoever wishes to be great among you, will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.”
On Sunday, 24th of April 2016, I had another chance to meet Fr. Marini at the Mother House in Parma, together with Mr. Pak Raymond and his wife Grace, who came from Jakarta purposely to visit Fr. Marini. That was the last time for me to meet him and talk to him. There was a gleam of joy on his face when he saw us first. He welcomed us with a smile, a sincere and open smile, despite the suffering he was hiding. He looked happy at that moment and was enjoying the stories told by his friends Raymond and Grace. He knew that people loved him and expected him to go back to Indonesia as much as he himself did. He was still hoping to return to Indonesia in order to be able to share the joy of the Gospel, to cherish the beauty of creation and to spread peace among the people. “I wish to go back to Indonesia to meet and listen to the stories of many friends and confreres, but right now I am too weak. I can only wait, I am ready to accept anything in faith” he said with a very serene voice.
Yes, he was a great missionary, a great teacher, a man of great faith. We were blessed by his presence among us. It is true - and sad! - that we have lost another Francis… another great Xaverian, a special brother of our, but at the same time we thank God for giving our family a great example of a missionary totally consecrated to His Mission and to the Church.
“Selamat Jalan Pastor… berbahagialah dalam keabadiaNya”