Death of Father Mario Cianfriglia, S.J.
R.I.P.

Father Mario Cianfriglia, SJ, died in Manila on 30 December 1979, aged 66.

Father Cianfriglia, was born on 4 April 1913, in a small town called San Tito Romano not far from Rome. He was an only son with only an elder sister, Giulia who survives him.

He entered the Novitiate of the Jesuits in Galloro at eighteen and continued his undergraduate studies in Rome at the Gregorian University. Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, while still a seminarian, he left for China to join the Italian Jesuits of the Mission of Pengpu in the Province of Anhwei. He studied theology and was ordained priest in Zikawei, Shanghai, on 7 June 1944. After finishing his formation with the third year of probation in Wuhu, he was assigned as assistant pastor in different mission stations. On the Communist takeover, he was forced to leave China with all the rest of the non-Chinese missionaries and came to the Philippines. His religious Superiors called him to take over the work of treasurer for the Chinese exiles in the Philippines, and he remained in this post as long as his health permitted. He was plagued by a recurrent tumor of the bladder which required several surgical interventions (not less than 27 of them), but he continued to carry on his work as treasurer and as chaplain first of the St. Paul's Sisters, then of the different religious communities. He spent many hours in the confessional every Sunday.

In 1965, he left Manila for Hong Kong where he assisted Father Germain in attending to the financial needs of all the Jesuits of the China Province. There too he was active in pastoral work.

He came back to Manila in 1975, his health rapidly declining. Besides his old bladder problem, he now also had severe diabetis with complications of the heart, kidneys and liver.

He spent his last years in prayers and some pastoral work. He was chaplain of the Institution Teresiana up to the end. His death came peacefully in the early morning of 30 December 1979. He had been asking Our Lord to take him home and the Lord answered his prayers.
1 February 1980


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