"The priest does not exist only on the altar."

Don Eugenio Cavallo , parish administrator of the Cathedral of San Nicola in Sassari , is a priest who tries to mend the frayed human fabric of the city's historic center. A man of the church belonging to the Order of Cottolengo, originally from Cuneo, and transplanted to Sassari Vecchia since September 16, 2024 after years of service between France, Switzerland and Ecuador .

« Archbishop Gian Franco Saba called me - he says, a clinical engineer by profession before being ordained a priest at the age of 37 - who has tried to spread a new humanism in the city».

A complex mission "because - he continues - these narrow streets that once favored mutual aid, have now become a prison for ethnic groups, and where lives unfold in parallel without ever meeting" .

The recipe for salvation is the intergenerational one, desired by Monsignor Saba, with which one tries to bring the young closer to the elderly. «I see a lot of loneliness, especially among the elderly, who do not take advantage of the services available. For example, they come to church but not to Auser to meet other people like them» .

The scenario is often conflictual, with parents who keep away from their children and vice versa, where alcoholism and drug addiction are rampant. "We managed to repopulate the church of Sant'Apollinare, which was always opened at the last moment for fear of thieves arriving. I sent away dozens of drug addicts who continued to ask for money."

Don Cavallo takes care of them by talking to them and assisting them. "Some people won't like us taking care of people who get high. We're alone on this mission and maybe one of these days we'll get stabbed."

The drugs themselves, along with the proceeds from various stolen goods, generate a lot of money in the oldest part of the city, which is theoretically affected by various situations of poverty. "Poverty here is more about hope than material. People are content with what they have and if they have 10 euros in their pocket they spend it right away. I see people with an income of 300 euros and a cell phone worth 700. How is that possible?"

And many of the men and women he assists find them in prison: "Some prefer to stay there rather than outside also because they have the possibility of getting treatment. For them, Bancali represents a sort of health check-in."

The priest, together with his brother Nicolas, is also involved in doing after-school activities and looking for children who don't go to class. "This summer we will do an initiative called Jubilant and in which we will take the very young for three weeks to San Giorgio where they will be able to do many activities with educators and animators. We need some of the latter and if they come forward they will help us." This is just one of the many actions carried out by the priest who lives between the church and the streets, and not only tied to the unattainable altar . "I have the possibility of risking more than others. But I wonder why it hasn't been done before. As you can see, I'm not afraid to speak. I have only one master, and he is good."

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