Remembering with gratitude . . . . .
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Dr. Mariano Di Gangi
A personal tribute by R. J. Bernhardt
With gratitude to God I remember the life and ministry of Dr. Mariano Di Gangi.
Dr. Di Gangi's ministery at St. Enoch's Church here in Hamilton from 1951 to 1961 was very richly blessed. He came to minister in Hamilton at a time when many steelworkers were emigrating from Scotland. Somehow the ministry of this Italian Presbyterian resonated well with them. He was remembered as an outstanding preacher and the St. Enoch's congregation was blessed with unusual numerical growth during his decade with them. Throughout my years in Hamilton I have encountered many who shared appreciative memories of the impact of Dr. Di Gangi's ministry on their lives.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Mariano Di Gangi initially came to Canada to minister to the people of Beckwith Memorial Church, an Italian language ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Montreal. It was in Montreal that he met and married his wife Ninette. The ministry at St. Enoch's in Hamilton followed and in 1961 he returned for a sojourn in the United States - serving as the pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia from 1961 until 1967.
In 1967 the Di Gangi's returned to Canada to take up residence in Toronto and Mariano became the North American Director of the Bible and Missionary Fellowship(now known as Interserve)- a role he continued to fill for some 20 years. Throughout that twenty years he literally travelled the world speaking at Christian Conferences and assemblies. He made a tremendous personal contribution to Christian missions worldwide. Perhaps the unsung part of this service was his success in raising the awareness of missions in many Christian congregtions in North America and helping individual believers to recognize the need and varied opportunities in the world for faithful and practical ministry in the name of Christ.
Along the way in life he also reconnected with the homeland of his parents. From 1980-2000 he spent part of each year preaching and teaching in seminaries and churches in Italy. He also served as a faculty member at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto. He was an effective teacher and many of his students remember both his formal teaching and his casual conversations with great appreciation.
When Dr. Di Gangi retired from Interserve the Congregation of Knox Church in Toronto was vacant and he ministered there for four years.
Throughout the course of his ministry Dr. Di Gangi had published numerous popular articles, brochures and booklets on various aspects of the Christian faith. Many of these were translated into Italian and Ukrainian. He also produced a steady stream of audio sermons for broadcast on radio. After his retirement from Knox Church much of his writing focused on the Puritans and included a two-volume set on great themes in Puritan preaching - the second volume of which was just released in July 2007.
He was a man of many interests and talents. He was widely read and kept up to date on world issues and international concerns. And, as an aside, amongst friends he would sometimes display an aptitude for puns that took that form of humour to a whole new level.
I could not possibly begin to enumerate his accomplishments as a pastor, a preacher and teacher, a writer, and as a Christian administrator. However, most of all I want to celebrate his graciousness as a friend and his inspiration as a mentor in both the Christian faith and in Christian ministry. While a seminary student I was privileged to sit under his preaching at Tenth Church in Philadelphia for three years. He has never failed to encourage, to inspire and to deepen my insights into life and the faith. During the past 45 years I have counted it a privilege whenever I have been able to spend a bit of time in his company or be present somewhere to hear him speak.
Our prayers are with his wife Ninette and his family. It is good that they should know that in a season of sorrow they are surrounded by a whole host of people around the world who with them desire to honour the memory and offer thanks to God for the life of Mariano Di Gangi.
Dr. DiGangi entered into his rest on March 18, 2008. Since 1999 Dr. and Mrs. Di Gangi have resided in Ottawa where their son-in-law, the Rev. Jack Archibald, is minister at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church. More recently they have made their home at Stillwater Creek Retirement Residence. Dr. DiGangi is survived by his wife Ninette and their three children. John, the oldest, is a director at Foreign Affairs and has spent much of his life working in embassies around the world. Marian, the second born, is the wife of the Rev. Jack Archibald. Peter, the youngest member of the family, is a consultant specializing in treaties and governance for First Nations. The Di Gangis have 7 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.