Aldo Goffredo Maselli

Aldo Maselli was born at Imperia, prov. Frosinone, near Rome on 7 December 1923, to Raffaele Maselli and Silvia nee Pelle.

He was educated at the liceo classico in Vigevano, prov. Pavia; and proceeded to the University of Milan before returning to the University of Naples. On the basis of his Italian credentials, he proceeded to Gordon College (BD); and Princeton Theological Seminary (Master of Practical Theology).

He was active in evangelistic work in Italy and felt called to ministry.

He continued his evangelistic activities in the Boston area when he transferred to Gordon College for further study to prepare him for missionary work in Italy. At the time of his application, he was living back in Esperia Inferiore, Frosinone. Maselli arrived in the USA on the immigrant ship, the SS Marine Perch, in 1948, listing his address of destination as 53 Oliver St., Sommerville, MA. In his student 'testimony', he noted that in crossing the Atlantic he feared the kind of welcome he would receive. He was deeply moved instead to find that 'here in the students I have found my own brothers.' (Gordon College Archives) His first posting in Boston was to the Italian Evangelical Mission. On 4 June 1950, while studying postgraduate work at Gordon College, he married Fortunata Clair nee Tavilla of Arlington.

In the same year as their marriage, he was appointed by Bp John Wesley Lord to take over Italian services in First Methodist Church, Temple St., Boston, where the services had been transferred after the retirement of Methodist pastor and lawyer, Armando Oreste Donaruma, from the Italian Methodist Church on Hannover St. The couple moved into a small apartment in the parsonage attached to First Methodist, at 39 Temple St. Newspapers of the time indicate that he continued to support Italian missions, giving talks in Methodist churches under titles such as 'Does Italy need the Gospel?'.

In 1954, he was posted to the Italian Baptist Church, Lawrence, MA. In the same year, Maselli was ordained in the "Italian Branch" of the Assemblies of God in the USA.

In November 1954, he visited Italy with his family, returning in March of that year on the TV Cristoforo Colombo, ex Naples.

In 1959, he took up the pastorate of Italian Pentecostal Church, Camden. While there he expanded the city church and established a children's Bible club (later taken over by workers of First Methodist Church of Collingswood). He also taught French at the Christian School of Camden Assemblies of God.

His work in Camden brought him into close touch with increasing poverty and drug addiction, and so the work of David Wilkerson in founding Teen Challenge in New York. In 1966, the family was injured in a car accident - Clair spent time in Kingston Hospital (New York), as did Aldo (with a broken pelvis and crushed chest). In 1968, then living in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Maselli resigned the pastorate at Camden (where he was succeeded by Joseph Beretta, previously at Pittsfield), to study at Princeton Theological Seminary towards a specialization in clinical pastoral ministry. He spent a good part of the next year in Italy, continuing his missionary concerns. In June 1967, he was guest speaker at the Malaga AG Church's annual senior citizen's celebration dinner (a church founded by Peter Dell'Aringa). In 1969, the family was living at 67 Axford Rd, Hamilton Township, New Jersey, where Aldo took charge of the Highstown AG Church (now Calvary AG, on the corner of Bank and Mechanic Streets).

By the mid-1970s, he was Clinic Supervisor of the Brunswick Outreach Centre, where methodone replacement therapy was introduced (under supervision from Middlesex General Hospital) for dealing with rising instances of heroin addiction.

The Masellis had five children together: Ralph Anthony (b. 1951; of Trenton and Hamilton Township; m. Theresa Benedetto), Stephanie (Stefany) J. (born in Beverly, MA), Sylvia, Lisa, and Paul.

Sources:

Ancestry.com.

Gordon College Archives.

Newspapers.com.

Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center, online database.