On Wednesday, Oct. 20, Pastor Emeritus Nino Bulzis fell asleep in the Lord.
Born in 1930, in Trieste, he would have been 91 years old on November 26. He had been ill for some time and was living with his youngest daughter in Switzerland.
After studying theology at Villa Aurora/Florence (Italy), Collonges (France), and at the Adventist Seminary in Bogehnofen (Austria), he served as a pastor in Italy from 1954 to 1970. He had been pastoring in the churches of Bolzano (in the bilingual community, Italian and German), Bari, Cassano Murge, Conversano, and Gravina di Puglia. Then he was transferred to Rome, to the Italian Union, to hold the position of Chief Colporteur and, later, also of Youth Department Director.
After eight years in the Italian capital, Past. Bulzis accepted the call of the then Euro-African (now Inter-European) Division for the position of Director of the Youth and Family Departments.
He returned to pastoral ministry during his last nine years of service and had been in charge of the Biel/Bienne Adventist Church in Switzerland, a community that was also bilingual (German and French).
As of 2019, he was widowed by his dear wife Ivanka. The two met at a youth gathering of churches in Zagreb. They got married in 1956 and started a family. Their union was, in fact, brightened by the arrival of two daughters: Patrizia, born in Bolzano, and Lorena, who saw the light in Rome.
“I met Nino Bulzis when I was a child in the church in Rome,” explained Corrado Cozzi, former Youth and Communications Director at the Inter-European Division. “I have always admired his enthusiastic and caring attitude towards children. A pastor who always brought joy and peace where he could. I couldn’t imagine at that time that one day I would take his place at the division.”
“Nino was an example of great perseverance and dedication,” continued Cozzi. “One day we will meet him again!”
The Inter-European Division expresses its heartfelt condolences to the daughters and to the whole family.
