Romana

Sunday, December 11, was the twentieth anniversary of the death of the young engineer Marcello Marano, professor of Physics at Milan Polytechnic. His sudden and unexpected death was caused by a cerebral hemorrhage. The parish of the Holy Family in Cinisello Balsamo (Milan), which he and his family attended and where Marcello was a catechist, has not forgotten his discreet and at the same time committed witness of faith and Christian life, and on the occasion of this anniversary wanted to dedicate a small tribute to him.

The Mass at 18:30 was concelebrated by the parish priest, Father Giovanni Meda, the Vicar of Opus Dei in Italy, Father Normann Insam, and two other priests, Father Matteo Baraldi and Father Claudio Carboni, both originally from the parish of the Holy Family and, in their youth, friends of Marcello Marano. Father Claudio gave the homily.

This was followed by an event in the parish facilities where some of Marcello's friends spoke: Paolo Laporta and Stefano Longhi, professors at Milan Polytech, the priest Matteo Baraldi, and Marco Paganini, author of the book Così normale, così speciale. Vita di Marcello Marano [So ordinary so special. The life of Marcello Marano], published by Edizioni Ares. Work, family, the parish and Opus Dei are the areas of Marcello's life that were highlighted during the various contributions. At the end of the event the participants went to a nearby restaurant for supper, as Marcello used to do in the past with his friends.

Marcello Marano was born in Milan in 1974 and moved with his parents and brother Vincenzo to Cinisello Balsamo in 1979. In 1992, through a friend and through the reading of some articles published in a Milan magazine, Studi Cattolici, which the young people of the parish used to discuss among themselves, he came to know Opus Dei. He asked for admission as an associate in 1997.

Five years after his death, the parish of the Holy Family published the booklet Marcello Marano. Molto più che un amico [Marcelo Marano, Much More Than a Friend], with testimonies of the priests who had succeeded him in the parish and of some close friends. Marco Paganini's biography was published in 2010. In addition, Marcello Marano's Memorie scientifiche [Scientific Memoirs] were collected and published on the initiative of his colleagues.