In a Cathedral packed with faithful, this morning (Saturday 8 June) theArchbishop, Msgr. Mario Delpini, conferred presbyteral ordination on 17 new priests of the Diocese of Milan through the laying on of hands. Among these there is Gioele Asquini from Legnano. Also with them to receive the sacrament were two Capuchin Friars Minor, a religious belonging to the Congregation of the Schools of Charity – Cavanis Institute and a new Italian priest from the Peruvian Diocese of Huari, missionary of Operation Mato Grosso. Among the concelebrants were also the Superior of the Capuchin Friars Minor, friar. Angelo Borghino, and that of the Italian delegation of the Cavanis Institute, Father Edmilson Mendes.
After the celebration, the long-awaited and traditional celebration took place outside the Cathedral with family, friends, seminary companions and faithful from the parishes in which the new priests have carried out their service in recent years. On June 20, in the weekday chapel of the Cathedral, at 11.45 am, the Archbishop will inform the new priests of the parishes in which they will carry out their ministry.
The Archbishop’s homily
Referring to the readings of the mass, and recalling the episode of the call of the young prophet Samuel by God during the night, in the homily the Archbishop underlined that «the night of the long sleep is visited by the Lord who calls. Our brothers who are ordained priests in this celebration are those of the night of Samuel, when the night that extinguishes the day was transformed into waiting for the day of the mission.” Connecting to the evangelical page referring to Jesus’ last speech to his disciples, Msgr. Delpini then reflected on the “night of surrender”, the one in which “the surrender of Jesus in the signs of bread and wine convinces that life deserves to be lived because it deserves to be given”. The Archbishop then concluded the homily as follows: «Precisely on that night Jesus indicated the way to enter into the mystery of everything he heard from his Father and called them friends. Thus the night of misunderstandings became the night of confidences (…). The brothers who are ordained priests today are men who offer themselves to the Church so that the fruit may multiply and the fruit may remain.” Before the final blessing, in addition to expressing his thanks (in particular towards the families of the new priests, “who have accompanied them in these years, not without sacrifice and trepidation”), Msgr. Delpini further recalled the readings of the Mass, which all alluded to the theme of the night, «an experience that we all go through in some way: may the Lord Jesus help us to ensure that every night contains a promise of morning and a desire for life for serve and love the Lord and the brothers”.
The 17 new Ambrosian priests
Michele Ascari, 37 years old, from the pastoral community of San Paolo in Giussano (MB); Gioele Asquini, 34 years old from the parish of San Paolo di Legnano (MI); Davide Beretta, 28 years old, from the pastoral community Madonna del Carmine of Carnate (MB); Paolo Bottelli, 31 years old, from the pastoral community Beato Samuele Marzorati of Varese; Matteo Foppoli, 29 years old, from the Santa Francesca Romana parish in Milan; Marco Garrini, 26 years old, from the Ognissanti parish of Milan; Andrea Giuliani, 29 years old, from the Santa Maria Assunta parish of Inzago (MI); Edoardo Mauri, 26 years old, from the parish of San Pio Manuel Mazzucco, 28 years old, from the parish of San Gottardo al Corso in Milan; Stefano Pedroli, 30 years old, from the pastoral community of Sant’Antonio Abate di Varese; Patrick Pescialli, 26 years old, from the parish of San Pietro in San Pietro all’Olmo in Cornaredo (MI); Ludovico Pileci, 24 years old, from the parish of San Martino di Ispra (VA); Alessandro Tacchi, 26 years old, from the Sant’Ambrogio parish of Vanzaghello (MI); Piercarlo Tettamanti, 25 years old, from the parish of Saints Ilario and Remigio of Beregazzo con Figliaro (CO); Erick Torres Torres, 32 years old, of the Diocese of Juigalpa (Nicaragua); Federico Valvassori, 30 years old, from the Santo Stefano parish of Santo Stefano Ticino (MI); Matteo Viscomi, 27 years old, from the Santa Maria Assunta parish of Senago (MI).
