A committed Christian, he never missed a Mass. Always at the front of the choir, his voice calm, his gaze turned toward heaven. He knew the Bible by heart, better than any priest, and spent evenings teaching it to our children as if he were bequeathing them a sacred treasure. He often spoke of values. Of exemplarity. Of divine love. He repeated to me: "We must be pillars for them. Reference points. Role models."

So when he told me he was going away for a weekend with some men from the church to...

Read more on the next page