Some Roman streets dedicated to Missionary Oblates, from the Oblate Communications

23/02/2012 Italy

Last December, Lucia Borzaga, the sister of Father Mario, whose process for beatification is in motion, received notice from the Acilia district of Rome about some streets dedicated to Oblates. Father Angelo PELIS asked for confirmation of this from the appropriate office in the city of Rome. The person responsible for the committee that chooses names, Doctor De Pascalis, responded immediately. It should be noted that in Rome, street names in various parts of the city are reserved for particular groups. For example, many of the streets near the General House are named after popes and cardinals. In other areas, they are named for literary figures or politicians.

Dr. De Pascalis indicated that in an area not far from the sea, where place names are dedicated to “Religious and Missionaries,” she had chosen some Italian missionaries for this honor. The street signs have already been put in place in a relatively new neighborhood. They read:
Piazza Monsignor Lionello Berti: Missionario (1925-1968) – OMI Laos
Via Padre Natalino Sartor: Missionario (1931-1966) – OMI Laos
Via Padre Mario Borzaga : Missionario (1932-1960) – OMI Laos
Via Padre Giuseppe Di Marco: Missionario (1906-1949) – OMI Sudafrica
Via Padre Paolo Meroni: Missionario (1873-1939) – comboniano


Father Angelo was able to give Dr. De Pascalis further information about the three Oblates who had worked in Laos since he had been their companion in studies and in the mission. He pointed out that Fr. Giuseppe Di Marco died at the age of 43 in South Africa, as a result of a traffic accident.
Source: Oblate Communications