Ambrogio Ravasi


Ambrogio Ravasi was an Italian-born Kenyan Roman Catholic prelate who was the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marsabit from 1981 until 2006. He was appointed bishop on 19 June 1981 by Pope John Paul II. His age-related resignation as bishop took effect on 25 November 2006. He died on 30 October 2020 as Bishop Emeritus of Marsabit. He was 91 years old at the time.

Early life and education

He was born on 7 February 1929 in Bellusco, in the Archdiocese of Milan, in Italy.

Priest

He was ordained a priest of the Consolata Missionaries on 9 February 1957, in Washington, DC, Archdiocese of Washington, District of Columbia, United States by Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, Titular Archbishop of Laodicea in Phrygia.

Bishop

On 19 June 1981 The Holy Father John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Marsabit, Kenya. He was consecrated Bishop on 18 October 1981 at Bellusco, in the Archdiocese of Milan in Italy. The Principal Consecrator was Cardinal Maurice Michael Otunga, Archbishop of Nairobi assisted by Bishop Caesar Gatimu, Bishop of Nyeri and Bishop Ferdinando Maggioni, Bishop of Alessandria. He retired as bishop on 25 November 2006, having reached the retirement age in 2004. He was succeeded by Bishop Peter Kihara Kariuki, I.M.C. as the Ordinary of the diocese. Bishop Ambrogio Ravasi continued to stay in Marsabit as Bishop Emeritus, as he so chose.

Illness and death

He fell down and broke one of his hip joints, several weeks before his death. He was taken to a hospital so that his broken hip could be operated upon. While there, he was found to have an emergency heart condition that required an operation, which was done. His doctors gave him one month to recover from the heart operation before they could fix the broken hip. He was moved to Consolata Missionaries Regional House in Nairobi, Kenya's capital city.
While there, his condition deteriorated and he had to be re-admitted to hospital. He died there on the morning of 30 October 2020, at the age of 91 years. On 6 November 2006, he was buried at the Maria Mfariji Shrine in Marsabit, as he had willed.