ARGENTINA, Carlos Ricciardi •
Last Sunday, Juan Carlos Lombardi of the second course of the Family Federation of Argentina passed away. On February 22, in a Mass at Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish in La Plata, his family, his parish and his large Schoenstatt Family expressed gratitude for the life of this apostle. — 
He was a Federation brother and friend of many years with whom we shared tasks, adventures, and dreams. He was a great guy, a Catholic, a good husband and father of a family. Cheerful… a great dreamer… always with projects… We will miss him! We pray for him, Graciela, and his family.
“With Juan Carlos Lombardi we shared the course community of Federation, since 1985. He was a faithful apostle, creative, close, very daring,” shares Maria Teresa Martino. “When 15 years ago he learned of the diagnosis of his autoimmune disease, he turned his life around and trained to become a permanent deacon.
He did it with the devotion and dedication of a docile Christian, but simultaneously, he was creating a style of dedication to his community of Church and domestic Church, unimaginable. As a brother, he always opened windows for us in the evangelizing conscience and with a strong family imprint.
He opened the way. Together with Graciela he sowed family and did not shrink even in the most intense pain. He took the Eucharist to his home until two weeks before the Covid-19 affected him and added to his autoimmune disease, the Father took him to his eternal home. Thank you Juanca! You have been a “lighthouse” on our path and a light for our generation”.
Promoter of numerous initiatives
Juan Carlos was truly a spectacular human being…always with projects, joyful, helpful, who gave his life for his family, the Church and for Schoenstatt. He was the promoter of numerous initiatives in the family of La Plata, of which he was the diocesan coordinator with Graciela Peri, his wife… Let us continue to walk with our feet on the ground and our eyes set on heaven….
The funeral Mass – celebrated by Bishop Jorge Gonzalez and preached by Father Alejandro Blanco – was a true celebration of a Catholic committed to his time and with an enormous faith.
