I arrived in South Africa in January 1994. The photo above shows how our group looked like. I was the last one of a group of five that had been appointed in the last year. 

The policy at that time was that any new missionary arriving in the country would be given one year to learn Zulu before being given an appointment. I was no exception. 

The first introduction to the language would be done by Fr "Jack" Viscardi IMC. 

Jack was one of the too pioneers of our pastoral presence in the country. His Italian name was "Giovanni" but having been appointed together with another "Giovanni" (Fr Giovanni Bertè IMC) he became Jack and the other one John. 

After two or three weeks of my arrival I was sent to Blaauwbosch where Jack was parish priest. It did not work. He was extremely busy and could hardly make any time to teach me. We then moved together to Damesfontein Mission. Not only he would have more time but he would also be "full time" just for me. In fact, he would teach me Monday to Saturdays from 9 am to 12 am and from 3 pm to 4 pm. The mornings were dedicated to grammar and vocabulary and the afternoons to Church prayers and celebrations. There was also homework for the following day...!

I believe it took him just one month to finish the first book.

At the end of 1999 I was appointed superior of our group and one or two years' later two new missionaries were appointed to our group. I needed someone to introduce them to the language and Jack was then serving in Waverley (Pretoria). I phoned him asking him to take them but he said he could not do it anymore.

Jack was in my mind the best choice for any new missionary arriving in the country. Together with his knowledge of the language and being able to teach, he had on his back thirty years of service under apartheid and the new South Africa. He would introduce them to much more than the language.

One Sunday I decided to just drive to Pretoria and do my best to convince him to do it. So, after the Masses I drove the 350 km to his community. He was surprised to see me and asked me why I was there. I just say: "You know why". It was even funny because he said: "You want me to teach the new missionaries? It is OK, I will do it". Just like that. It was effortless!!!

Like before, he left his parish and moved to Damesfontein. As he had always done, he was body and soul introducing the new missionaries. 

Jack died yesterday (19 April 2020). He was 88 and because of his health he had gone back to Italy. Two of his students (from the photo) certainly welcomed him home: Fr Alexius Lipingu IMC (seated first from left) died in 1999 and Fr Carlos Domingos IMC (standing first from right) in 2016. Knowing Jack he is probably checking how much they still remember of what he taught them!