By Arnold Neliba
NAIROBI, OCTOBER 30, 2020 (CISA)-Bishop Ambrogio Ravasi, IMC Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Marsabit is dead. The 91-year-old Italian prelate died today October 30, 2020 at a Nairobi hospital.
“On behalf of the Superior General I’m sending you the communication about the demise of Msgr. Ambrogio Ravasi, Consolata missionary and emeritus of Marsabit,” Fr Pedro Louro the Secretary General of the Consolata Missionaries said in an October 30 message to confreres and friends.
Bishop Ravasi has been recuperating at Consolata Missionaries Regional House in Nairobi after undergoing a surgical heart procedure.
“The bishop fell down and broke his hip joint. He was rushed to hospital for operation but could not be operated on because he had a heart complication which was dealt with that time. The doctors had given him one month to recover from the heart operation before undertaking the operation of the hip joint,” Fr Zachary Kariuki, the Vice Regional Superior Kenya/Uganda told CISA.
Bishop Ravasi’s situation worsened on October 29 and had to be taken back to the hospital for further observation. He passed away at around 6:15am.
“It is a big loss for Consolata Missionaries because he is a person who had dedicated his life to the charism of our founder. We are saddened by his death but also thank God for the time he has given Ravasi to us, and for the wonderful work he has done for all those years and for being a good missionary,” Fr Zachary said.
“When you mention Ravasi, people associate him with the sacrifices that he made, the perseverance and the patience of working in the northern part of Kenya. He travelled through the rough roads to begin the churches in challenging places in this country. He gave his life to the people,” Fr Kariuki added.
Bishop Ravasi was born on February 7, 1929 in Bellusco, Italy. He was ordained a priest of Consolata Missionaries on February 9, 1957. He was appointed bishop of Marsabit on June 19, 1981 aged 52 years, becoming the second Consolata Missionary bishop in Kenya after the late Bishop Charles Maria Cavallera.
He retired as Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Marsabit on November 25, 2006 and according to his desire continued living in Marsabit.
Bishop Ravasi was the elder brother to the late Fr Attilio Ravasi, also a Consolata Missionary who died in Kenya on April 13, 2005 at the age of 68.
