On Saturday, November 23, First Vespers of the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe, our Province of Europe South experienced a unique moment: the priestly ordination of Father Fabrizio Podda, the first priest of the Province. The solemn celebration took place in the parish church of San Sperate Martire in San Sperate, in the province of Cagliari, where our confreres take care of the Parish, and a small Sanctuary dedicated to the Mother of Perpetual Help. The ordination was presided over by Mons. Giuseppe Baturi, Archbishop of Cagliari and Secretary of the Italian Episcopal Conference.
In his homily, the Archbishop, addressing our confrere, spoke of the importance of living by bearing witness to the truth: that Truth which liberates, which strengthens, which is at the same time also Love, that truth which is Jesus Christ himself.
The ordination liturgy is then followed by the election, the invocation of the saints and the laying on of hands and the prayer of consecration.
The emotion was visible on the faces of his parents, his two sisters and many friends, relatives and parishioners who attended the sacred ordination in great numbers.
The next day, Sunday 24, Father Fabrizio presided over his First Mass in the same parish church. It was undoubtedly a moving moment for him and for the entire parish community: the same community that saw him born to the faith, grow, take his first steps towards his vocation and now sees him, as a priest, acting in the person of Christ by consecrating the Eucharist.
The new priest was welcomed on the porch of the church by the parish priest, Fr. Antonio Cirulli, a Redemptorist.
The homily was given by Father Gennaro Sorrentino, Provincial Superior, who spoke about the challenge of being a priest today and gave precious indications for a fruitful and fruitful priestly life that come to us from the life and works of our Founder Saint Alphonsus.
At the end of the Holy Mass, the new priest paused for a moment of prayer before the icon of the Mother of Perpetual Help.
Father Fabrizio, 30 years old, is the third Redemptorist vocation of San Sperate and took the first step of his vocational discernment in the Redemptorist Youth Vocation Ministry (PGVR). In 2016 he entered our Congregation as a postulant. In 2018 he began his novitiate in Ciorani where he made his temporary profession the following year. He then completed his theological studies at the Pontifical Lateran University, in Rome, living in the Interprovincial Studentate of San Gioacchino. He then lived a year of pastoral experience at our community of Santa Maria in Clapham in London. He prepared for his perpetual profession with a month of spiritual renewal in our community of Svata Hora (Czech Republic). On September 3, 2023, he made his perpetual profession and on the following December 7 he received diaconal ordination from the hands of our confrere Mons. Alfonso Amarante.
Fr. Fabrizio will carry out his priestly ministry by working as a parish vicar in our Parish of San Gioacchino in Rome, where he already lives and works, continuing his studies in Moral Theology at the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy and carrying out the office of Secretary to the Provincial Superior.
Our young brother thus enters the history of our newly formed Province of Southern Europe, being its first priest.
May his example of generous response to following the Lord as a Redemptorist and priest be the seed of numerous and holy vocations to our Province and to the Congregation!
Gianluigi Colucci, CSsR.
