Months of preparations in Montaldo Bormida (AL) and finally, on Sabbath, April 12, the celebrations for the centenary of the construction of the first Adventist chapel in Italy took place.
In the Piedmontese village (about 600 inhabitants), many people arrived from the churches of Alessandria, Asti, Genoa, Turin, Milan, Florence, Padua, and Rome, for this important moment of historical remembrance. The speeches of the mayor and representatives of the Christian denominations enlivened the public afternoon ceremony.
The morning program
The Sabbath program began with the honors of Stefano Calà, local pastor. This was followed by the reflection of Prof. Tiziano Rimoldi, professor of church history at the Adventist Faculty of Theology in Florence. Rimoldi asked a series of questions to those present, who discussed them in groups, on the meaning of the Adventist presence in Italy after 160 years: “What are the elements of our faith that we must recover and what practices, instead, must we modify in order to be able to give an effective and pertinent testimony in the time in which we live?”
Pastor Eugen Havresciuc, director of the Adventist churches of northern Italy and former pastor of the Montaldo community, presented the collection of the offering that will be used to maintain the chapel. Since September 2024, the chapel has been recognized as being of artistic and historical interest by the Ministry of Culture and, as such, is subject to constraints. The next step was the planting of an olive tree in the garden, as a symbol of care for the church of Montaldo, until the return of the Lord.
Back in the church, the greeting messages of pastors were read. First, from Domenico Visigalli, 97, who remembers the first moment he set foot in the church of Montaldo Bormida in 1952; and, next, from Pastor Samuele Barletta, who served in the community.
The sermon was given by Pastor Andrei Cretu, president of the Italian Union of Seventh-day Adventist Christian Churches. In his sermon, on the text of Isaiah 43:19-21, he asked those present to continue to have faith in the Lord. The same God who guided His people and the Church, in the past, will be able to lead and open new paths for the proclamation of a message to those who do not yet know Him. And He will do so even in what to our eyes seems like a desert but hides seeds of hope.
There was no shortage of community songs, accompanied by a piano and violins, to express joy and praise to God.
The public ceremony of the afternoon
After lunch, in a place made available by the Municipality of Montaldo Bormida, the public celebration followed, open to the citizens. Among the guests, there were also two carabinieri (military police) from the Carpeneto station, invited to recall a historic photo from 1925, in which some of the military members were easily recognizable with their muskets.
The afternoon began with institutional greetings. President Cretu thanked the authorities who attended and underlined the importance of the moment for the entire Adventist Church in Italy. Pastor Havresciuc renewed his affection for the community and the members of which he was pastor. The floor was then given to the mayor, Emiliano Marengo, who shared his own congratulations on the goal achieved and expressed the closeness of the municipal administration.
Historical notes
Prof. Rimoldi briefly presented the history of the denomination, starting from its birth in the United States, in the second half of the 19th century, up to its development in Italy, with particular reference to the challenges faced in the fascist and post-war period.
Then Pastor Calà presented the history of the church of Montaldo Bormida.
The first Adventist from Montaldo was Maria Ottolia, Cambiaso's widow, who learned about the Adventist message in Genoa and was baptized. She zealously testified of her faith to relatives and acquaintances, contributing to the foundation of the communities of Genoa and Montaldo Bormida and to the conversion of Francesco Rimoldi, who later became a pastor.
Giovanni Battista Ottolia, a cobbler, accepted the Adventist message brought to the village by his sister, Maria, in 1912. In his shop, Giovanni had a young apprentice, Federico Orsi, who was very interested in his testimony. In 1913, Federico also accepted the biblical teachings presented by the Adventist Church and was baptized.
In 1921, Teresa Gaggino, married to Angelo Parodi, was baptized. A few years later, she would donate that small piece of land on which, in a few months, the first Adventist chapel in Italy was built. And it was all possible thanks to the commitment of the 26 members of the local community combined with a small contribution from the Mission Extension Fund of the Adventist World Church.
On April 28, 1925, Federico Orsi was present at the notary’s office as a witness. From 1925 until his death in 1974, Orsi held the office of elder of the community. And in this capacity, he became the object of the attention of the parish priest, the bishop, and the apostolic nuncio, who approached the Ministry of the Interior to prevent his nomination as a recognized minister of worship.
Today, the chapel is used, occasionally, for events of the communities and of the nearby scouts.
"Let us pray that the Lord may show us what plan He has for the future, not only and not so much for the walls of the Montaldo chapel but for the work of witnessing in Italy, in general, and in these hills, in particular," concluded Pastor Calà.
The traditional souvenir photo and a small refreshment closed the celebrations.
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