TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A funeral Mass was held Thursday for Italian Catholic priest Father Gian Carlo Michelini at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Luodong, Yilan County, per CNA.
Michelini devoted more than 60 years to serving the local Catholic community and promoting cultural development in Yilan. He founded the Lan Yang Dance Troupe and Lan Yang Youth Catholic Center and played a key role in the Yilan International Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival.
In recognition of his contributions, Michelini was granted Taiwanese citizenship in 2017. He died at the age of 91 at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Luodong.
The funeral was attended by Marco Lombardi, head of the Italian Economic, Trade, and Cultural Promotion Office in Taipei, Deputy Culture Minister Lee Ching-hui (李靜慧), and Acting Yilan County Magistrate Lin Mao-sheng (林茂盛), who presented a certificate of commendation in honor of Michelini’s lifelong dedication to the people and culture of the Lanyang Plain.
The certificate was accepted on behalf of the Catholic Church’s Camillian Order by Father Evan Paul Villanueva.
The Mass was presided over by Father Wong Haw-ran (黃浩然), president of the Camillians in Taiwan. Before the service began, teachers and children who had grown up with the Lan Yang Dance Troupe gathered at the altar to bid farewell to Michelini, affectionately known as “Grandpa Mi.”
In his eulogy, Villanueva described Michelini as a loving priest, a skilled communicator, and a quiet builder of culture and hope.
A family representative, Stefano Michelini, delivered a video message expressing gratitude to the Lanyang YMCA, a caregiver surnamed Liu (劉) who supported Michelini in his final year, members of the Camillian Order, and the medical staff at Saint Mary’s Hospital.
He also thanked the Taiwanese government for granting Michelini citizenship and an ID card, saying the gesture held profound meaning and reflected the affection he received in Taiwan.
Following the Mass, a procession visited the Lanyang Youth Catholic Center, a project Michelini helped build. He was later laid to rest at Guangxing Catholic Cemetery.
