Recent admissions of new members have brought in renewed vigor in the Priestly Fraternity of the Province of St. Dominic in Italy. Three priests were welcomed on different occasions by the Provincial Promoter Brother Daniele Mazzoleni, OP, with the assistance of the prior of the fraternity, Fr. Cesare Silva of the Diocese of Vigevano.
May 20, 2021, was a day of great consolation in Fontanellato with the profession of Fr. Luigi Lazzarini of the Diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio and the admission of Fr. Mattia Tanel of the Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio. The rites were held during the morning Mass at the Dominican Shrine and Convent of Our Lady of the Rosary in Fontanellato, Parma, with Br. Daniele as celebrant and presider.
Fr. Mattia “Etienne Marie” was ordained on 7 October 2016 at the Cathedral of San Giorgio Martire in Ferrara. He is currently serving as Officiant of the Chiesa di Santa Chiara (in Ferrara), Vice-Rector of Tempio di San Cristoforo alla Certosa and Vice-Chaplain of the Certosa cemetery. Fr. Luigi “Martino” was ordained on 3 October 1998 and currently serves as Parish administrator at Montalbo S. Cristoforo, Parochial Vicar at Pianello V. T. S. Maurizio, and Parish administrator at Tassara - S. Anna.
On another occasion, 12 November 2021, Fr. Carlo Cattaneo, a priest of seven years from the Diocese of Vigevano, was received in the Church of St. Dominic, Varazze, also by Br. Daniele. Fr. Carlo’s first encounter with the Order was through the Confraternity of the Rosary, in which he was enrolled from childhood, and which attracted him early on to the consecrated life. After completing his Bachelor's degree in Communication, however, he pursued the diocesan path of seminary formation for reasons involving his family. Nevertheless, his affinity with St. Dominic remained and eventually found fulfillment in the Dominican Priestly Fraternities. He finally found his way to Varazze upon the advice of Br. Alessandro Matteo Biasibetti, OP, a Dominican friar of the Convent of Bologna, whom Fr. Carlo had the opportunity of accompanying in the parish during the latter’s vocational discernment before entering the Order. On that joyous occasion of his admission in the Dominican Family, Fr. Carlo was welcomed by the fraternity’s prior, who is likewise a brother priest from his home diocese.
Br. Florentino Bolo, OP
