On 13 May, in a meeting at the Episcopal Seminary of Savona, the new Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Savona-Noli took office, chaired by Monsignor Calogero Marino and now composed of Don Adolfo Macchioli, Don Alessio Allori, Don Angelo Magnano, Don Camillo Podda , Don Danilo Grillo, Don Antonio Ferri, Don Germano Grazzini, Don Iosif Demeterca, Don Giuseppe Militello, Don Lorenzo Cortesi, Don Selvaraj Devasahayam, Don Silvester Soosai, Father Francesco Rossi and Father Giuseppe Maffeis. Don Giuseppe Militello was chosen as the new secretary, taking over from Don Allori.
This was followed by the election of Don Giulio Grosso as a member of the Council of the Diocesan Institute for the Support of the Clergy in place of the resigning Don Camillo Podda and until the next renewal of the Council itself, expected in January. As presbyters elected by the Presbyteral Council, the bishop accepted the names of Don Grazzini and Don Militello for the Regional Presbyteral Commission. For the election of the group of parish priests with whom the Bishop negotiates the removal of a parish priest from his office (can. 1742), Don Ferri, Don Grillo and Don Giovanni Margara were unanimously confirmed.
The discussion then opened according to the “conversation in the Spirit” methodology. Three major topics emerged for the next sessions of the Council: training, in particular of future priests, ongoing training and the identity of priests, the vocational dimension; the importance of what was established by the Synod and its reception – implementation, keeping in mind the great themes of the Jubilee of 2025, catechesis and the pastoral visit of the Bishop; the legal-pastoral concreteness of the journey. A further theme could be related to elderly priests.
Regarding the twenty-fifth ordinary universal jubilee, Monsignor Marino informed that the date of 29 December has been set in the bull of indiction with the opening Eucharistic celebration in the cathedral taking place in each diocese, preceded by a pilgrimage from another church. The Diocese of Savona-Noli will organize a single pilgrimage to Rome, lasting several days and with different moments of visit. For the categories of the People of God (young people, associations, etc.) it will be appropriate to work alongside what is organized from time to time at a regional level. Finally, the bishop announced the appointment of Fra Stefano Lovato, from the community of Franciscan Friars Minor of San Giacomo in Varazze, as area assistant of AGESCI.
