On Thursday 7 December, two young brothers Fabrizio Podda, 29 years old, and Gianluigi Colucci, 26 years old were ordained deacons on the eve of the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, official Patron of our Institute, in our Roman Parish of San Gioacchino in Prati. They received the order of the diaconate through the imposition of hands and the consecratory prayer by our confrere Monsignor Alfonso Amarante, Rector of the Pontifical Lateran University who was ordained bishop on 6 October.
Several confreres from the communities of the Province participated in the solemn Eucharistic celebration, as well as the student fathers of the Collegio Maggiore and some from the General Curia. Among them: the Provincial Superior Fr. Antonio Cirulli, the Coordinator of the CRE Fr. Johannes Römelt, the General Councilor Fr. Ivel Mendanha, the Provincial of Naples Fr. Serafino Fiore, the newly elected Provincial Superior of the new Province of Southern Europe Fr. Gennaro Sorrentino.
Four confreres from the Province of Bratislava-Prague and a group of six young people from our Albania Mission (where Gianluigi spent the pastoral year) also participated, accompanied by Fr. Andrzej Michon, who took care of the liturgical service.
The young people from our parish of San Giovanni Neumann in Rome Montespaccato accompanied the celebration with singing, while those from our parishes of S. Sperate and Francavilla al Mare proclaimed the readings.
Monsignor Amarante, starting from the readings for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, reminded the new deacons that “before doing anything, serving is a way of being, a mentality that slowly becomes style; not to serve to live, to appear, to show one side of our existential coin, but to live to serve.”
Finally, the ordination of the two new deacons is a sign of hope for the history of the Province of Rome which is preparing to conclude its centenary history to open a new chapter: that of the Province of Southern Europe.
Gianluigi M. Colucci, CSsR.
