Braida celebrates 60 and 50 years of priesthood for Don Geli and Don Roberto

On Sunday 26 July, the Braida festival in Sassuolo featured a Mass to mark the 60‑year priesthood anniversary of Don Evangelista Margini (known as Don Geli) and the 50‑year anniversary of Don Roberto Bondioli. The celebration took place at 09:30 in the church of San Giovanni Evangelista, presided by Don Geli and co‑celebrated by Don Roberto and Don Jacek, the current pastor of the Sassuolo pastoral unit that includes Braida, Ancora and Madonna di Sotto. Municipal assessor David Zilioli attended on behalf of the city of Sassuolo, joined by local groups, confraternities and numerous faithful.

In his homily, Don Geli described the community as “a house open” and urged the faithful to look forward with positivity, emphasizing that the true treasure of the Church lies in shared encounters with Christ rather than buildings. The event also recalled the parish’s scouting history, the Palio di Braida between scouts and the ACR, and the early hospitality shown to conscientious objectors and migrants arriving for work in the local ceramics industry.