My praying condolences to his family, his spiritual family, and to Pat and Pax Christi UK and Pax Christi Italia.
In peace. Jef Felix
Claudette Werleigh, Secretary General, Pax Christi International, Brussels
Giovanni was such a wonderful person! I kept hoping and praying...until this morning when I got the sad news. God wanted Giovanni to be with Him. I have been calling and dropping a note from time to time. The last time I called it was someone (a sister perhaps?) at the Consolata Missionary who told me that Giovanni was indeed not doing very well at all. Nevertheless I kept hoping.
I am sure that Giovanni will continue to live with us, through us, showing us the way with his good humour, his welcoming way of making everyone fell comfortable.
May God receive him in His kingdom as Giovanni was a true artisan of Peace.
Claudette Werleigh
From Marie Dennis, Vice President of Pax Christi International, Co-Director of Maryknoll, USA:
Giovanni was such a wonderful human being - his life was a great gift to all who knew him. I know that you and his many friends in the UK will miss him terribly. May he rest in peace after these difficult months. Pax Christi was deeply blessed by his presence.
From Fr Ezio Roattino, Colombia:
Thank you for communication the news about the our friend John going to the full meeting with our friend and Lord, the Risen Jesus. A sad news and a hopefull news. He will continue to walk with us. I will be for ever grateful to John for having shared some very challenging years in London and to have shared some days during the last October, during his illness. All he told me, his way of being, his facing life and death, the meeting with Bruce Kent and his wife, all this is alive in the depth of my heart. Thank you, Pat, to share with me and with others friends this happening, charged of memory and of future. In communion with our God who is the God of life and resurrection, in communion with John who will go with us to build up new paths of justice and peace.
Ezio
From Bishop Kevin Dowling, Vice President of Pax Christi International, Bishop of Rustenburg, South Africa:
Dear friends and co-workers for peace,
I am deeply saddened at the death of Giovanni because we are all going to miss his presence, his insights, his wonderful sense of humour, his prophetic spirit, his passion for Pax Christi – and so much else.
I also know and feel what a tremendous loss this will be for Pat and Pax
Christi UK and all at Pax Christi Italia. My deepest sympathies to them, and to the family of Giovanni.
I feel I have lost a kindred spirit and precious friend, but I also believe that he will be interceding for us and the whole Pax Christi family with the Lord whom he followed with such commitment. May he rest in peace, and may we all hold the memory of Giovanni in our hearts.
With warm regards and my wish for peace and healing for all of us at this time,
Kevin
