Brazil: Italian Missionary Killed

Father Luigi Plebani, 62, a Fidei Donum missionary of the Italian diocese of Brescia, was found dead Sunday in his home in Ruy Barbosa, in Brazil’s north-eastern state of Bahia where he served as a missionary for over 30 years.

“Little news is arriving and the causes of the murder remain unclear. It is thought that his death was caused by a robbery which degenerated tragically, and the killers appear to have staged a suicide. Now it is up to the police, who took the body, to establish the circumstances”, said to MISNA Fr. Adriano Bianchi, director of the Social Communications Office of the Brescia diocese

Fr. Luigi, originally from Rudiano (BS), in Bahia lived near a mission of Italian Sisters: “It appears he was found by the cleaning lady, but we have no other information. He was in Brazil since 1980 and in the next week was due to return to Italy for good”, added Fr. Bianchi. Father Plebani was ordained priest in 1973 and had served in Erbanno and San Pancrazio before departing for Brazil.