The touching story of the inspiration of the priest who united faith and science

Last Saturday, July 17, when I learned that Reverend Juan Batista Bisetti, 94, had been hospitalized with Covid-19, it alarmed the school community, but it was expected that, as he already had two vaccinations, it wouldn’t be a serious situation …Unfortunately, the underlying illnesses that accompanied him for years did not allow him to resist the deadly virus, leaving everyone who knew him deeply regretting his disappearance, whether in his role as a teacher, researcher, or priest. .

Piketty, who arrived from Italy in 1952 after being ordained a priest, will be remembered for being an inspiration to generations of astronomers and scientists who took their first steps into this world of discovery in his enormous corner lab. From the second floor of the Colegio Seminario Conciliar de La Serena.

Generations after generations of students have taught his passion for experimentation and his now legendary phrase “the cart goes up, the cart goes down” as he practically and educationally explains the intricate secrets of physics.

“I remember the late 80s when owning a computer was worth a fortune, it allowed us to use it without any problems, even for games. He liked to be close to technology. I also remember some people calling it “funny” about a bomb at school and they invented a device like the Gope to check From the packaging in the backyard, Carlos Rojas, a former student at the Colégio Seminario Conslar, recalls upon learning of the death of what he claimed was his teacher for the study of pedagogy in mathematics and arithmetic.

Like Carlos, there are many former seminarians who claim that entering Father Pesetti’s workshop allowed them to find their true purpose.

El Tololito and Cerro Mayo

This love of science prompted the religious, in 1969, to form an astronomical group and build an observatory to enjoy the universe.

“Our first telescope, we called it Tololito, and in 1972 we made the largest Tololito telescope. The study was done by the Tololo Observatory. Then came the people who helped buy a good telescope, but unfortunately today there is a lot of light pollution,” he told El Día about The structure he built in the courtyards of the Conciliar Seminary.

In 2006, Picetti promoted the construction of Cerro Mayo, an architectural and sculptural complex built around a dome for a 14-inch telescope equipped with a second telescope dedicated to basic research.

“At a certain point, we realized we could no longer take notes here and talked because we weren’t looking there, and we got the support of the former students, the Olivier family, who gave us a piece of the hill. We tested it out. When you dream hard,” said Reverend Barnabian at that moment. .

All this dedication to science, especially astronomy, has led many organizations to recognize the work of Juan Bautista Bisetti, winner of the Michael Faraday Prize for Teaching Physics, awarded by the university’s Faculty of Physics. Catholicism in Chile. In addition, the AURA Observatory in Chile has created an annual award called “Prémio Padre Picetti”, which year after year rewards leaders in education and extension in northern Chile.

The brilliant son of Higuera

But the Italian religious left his mark not only on his students, but also on his pastoral and social work in the municipality of La Higuera for 36 years.

His altruistic work with residents led to him being declared “son of genius” by the municipality in 2008, in a passionate party where nearly everyone gathered in his square.

For this reason, his death caused unrest in the region, said Mayor (Que) Carlos Flores, who said the priest marked several generations who enjoyed his teachings.

“The entire municipality of La Higuera deeply regrets his disappearance, and we are deeply touched by his disappearance. Today I saw many tears in people’s eyes when they learned of his disappearance”, the community authority noted.

In this context, Father Elson Rojas Lamas, President of the Colegio Seminario Conclave de La Serena, highlighted that Father Pesetti is the founder of Barnabet’s presence in Chile.

“Perhaps because he has sometimes devoted himself to teaching astronomy in this outrageous way, or because even as a parish priest he was a man so busy with his people that he set his heart on La Higuera to the end, perhaps the whole world was not capable of the first thing Father Pesetti realized he was a man.” He lived all his life. For God’s sake, it was his north. And this is at an unusual and high level ”, notes the director of the educational institution.

Defense Minister Baldo Procurica was one of the officials who wanted to express their gratitude to the late priest via social media.

“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Father Battista Bissetti Serugati, who was my teacher at Colegio Seminario Conciliar de La Serena. He inspired so many students by his example in Christian and humanistic life and values,” the Foreign Minister said on his Twitter account.

For his part, Franco Dalbosco, Honorary Consul of Italy, noted that his death represented a great loss to the Barnabyn community.

“We thank God, who had the privilege of being his disciple, for all his generosity and wisdom which we often could not follow, for he came from another planet, and then came down to earth to deliver a message. And peace, in both the corridors and the schoolyard, And on the dirt roads to La Higuera City Hall, where he was a missionary of Christ.

funeral

Father Pesetti’s funeral will take place today, Thursday, August 5, at 11:30 a.m. at the Santa Lucia Chapel of Colego Seminario. Only those who are summoned will be able to attend the mass in person, while respecting the precautionary measures in the health field. To extend participation to the whole community, the entire liturgical celebration will be broadcast, which can be followed on the virtual foundation platforms.