We Catholics love our Priests. With fond affection, we remember the dedicated Priests who have, time and again, impacted our lives.  These marvelous men, these Priests of Jesus Christ, washed us clean in the waters of Baptism, absolved our sins, nourished us with the Holy Eucharist and anointed our sick with the, “oils of salvation.”  Having led us to the Lord Jesus, they marked our lives indelibly.  Let me tell you of one such Priest, Msgr. Francesco Bellando.   
   

    Several years after my ordination, I was taking advanced studies in Rome.  One day a phone call came to our residence from San Ippolito’s Parish in Bardonecchia, Italy.  It was with a touch of urgency that Msgr. Francesco Bellando requested a Priest to assist him and his curate, Don Franco, during the Christmas Holydays.  Thank God, I seized the opportunity.  It was the beginning of a lasting learning experience and a warm personal friendship.
   

    Bardonecchia is a picturesque little skiing village close to the French border. Tourists flock there from all parts of Europe. The brisk Alpine breeze fills one’s lungs with an exhilarating air as the quaint, charming shops blend beautifully with the snowcapped mountains.  Who could resist the luscious pastries of the pampering Italian bakeries that one finds on the streets of Bardonecchia?  Certainly, not I!
   

    The ancient Church of San Ippolito dates back to the eleventh century.  A plaque posted by the entrance lists the succession of Pastors from the year 1450 to the present.  It simply boggled my American mind.  We of the New World consider a church that is fifty years as, “old.”
   

    Don Francesco, as the villagers affectionately called him, was a cultured and charming man.  In his presence, however, one knew that he was a Priest to the core. 
   

    Immediately after having received his Doctorate in Canon Law in Rome, he was appointed Pastor of San Ippolito’s. This assignment seemed to be the launching pad of a promising ecclesiastical career.  Soon, Don Francesco was named a Monsignor.  There was little doubt the episcopacy was not far behind.
   

    Yet, in the inscrutable designs of Almighty God, it was not to be. Don Francesco Bellando remained the pastor of Bardonecchia for over fifty years, until his death in 1992.  "It matters not," he would muse.  "Neither Saint John Vianney nor Saint Don Bosco climbed the ecclesiastical ladder, at least, not in this life."      
   

    Don Francesco’s rectory resounded with priestly fraternity. We looked forward to the camaraderie of the Priests at table.  Well do I recall the homemade pasta that was always accompanied by a generous glass of Italian vino, or two, I am afraid!
   

    The saintly pastor cautioned me that, since the town was filled with tourists, a Priest never knew what to expect when hearing confessions.  Since I was newly ordained, he instructed me: "No matter what sins the people may confess, always remember that the mercy of Jesus Christ is without limit; Jesus is most anxious to forgive. In this, we must ceaselessly reflect the Lord.  Without exception, the Priest must be seen as the Friend of Sinners, one to whom the people can come and find the compassion of Jesus Christ." The words of our Blessed Savior were the signature of his Priesthood: “I have not come to call the self-righteous but sinners!”   
   

    Don Francesco was an exceptionally talented preacher. "The Priest,” he would say, “should speak only of Jesus Christ, La Madonna, and of nothing else!”  Lest anyone would mistake divine mercy for permissiveness, he insisted: “Yes! Jesus often preached of things that people like to hear such as mercy, the forgiveness of sin and the love of neighbor.  Nevertheless, He also preached of things that many are inclined to dismiss.  Our Lord preached emphatically of the need to observe the Commandments, of the concrete reality of sin, and of the possibility of eternal separation from God in hell.
   

    “The Lord did not speak these truths to terrorize us or to instill in us an inordinate fear of God.  No!  He spoke of these things for our good.  His greatest desire was to show us His divine mercy, if only we would seek it." No moral equivocation here!  Mercy and permissiveness are not interchangeable words.
   

    Christmas confessions were endless at San Ippolito’s.  We would begin at noon and often would hear until midnight with short breaks for meals.  One Christmas Eve, we finished at half past one in the morning. I was exhausted.  Walking to the rectory that cold December night, Don Francesco remarked: "Just think!  The saintly Cure of Ars did this every day of his priestly life.  This, Don Riccardo, is the Priesthood!"
   

    Above all, Msgr. Bellando loved Jesus Christ! This is how he lived his vocation.  My dear friends, this is precisely how we Catholics, Priests and laity alike, must live our vocations.  We must love Jesus Christ!        
   

    O! How sorely we need the witness of dedicated Priests during this dark night of the Church!  Don Francesco, “The Friend of Sinners,” gives us an outstanding example of what it means to live the Priesthood.  Truly, he was an Alter Christus, Another Christ! 
   

    Let us pray that Mary, the Queen of the Clergy, will bless us with holy Priests who are filled with love for Jesus Christ and His Church.  Caro, Don Francesco, may the angels led you into paradise for, Thou art a Priest Forever!