ARGENTINA, with material from AICA •
Schoenstatt Father Lucas Chiappe received his ordination last Saturday, November 25, from the Bishop of Quilmes, who urged him to “unceasingly communicate God in the Word, the Eucharist and in presence.” —
In his homily, Bishop Carlos Tissera emphasized: “The fruitfulness of our life depends on union with Christ. The glory of the Father is in bearing much fruit. The fruitfulness of man glorifies God who, in creating him, asked him: ‘Be fruitful!’, and in this fruitfulness prayer has much to do”.
“The fruitfulness of life is not simply in producing, in multiplying works, in spending energy, in adding up plans and projects, but it is in the intensity of his love for his brother,” he stressed.
To be bread of goodness for everyone, everyone, everyone
And addressing the ordinand, he said: “You will be the one who will preside over the community of the missionary disciples of Jesus, breaking the Bread of life, by your gestures and words you will consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ for the brothers. In this school of Eucharistic love, the Lord, the Bread of Life, will form you as a priest for his people. Let yourself be kneaded by Him and by the holy people of God, to be bread of goodness for everyone, everyone, everyone, as Pope Francis insists. Today you will be a priest forever. All of God and of his people”.
And he continued: “The hand of the Lord brought you this last time to the house of the Virgin in Argentina, the Basilica of Lujan. The little Virgin is a witness of all this precious time of your life; together with her, you have learned to love as she loves. You have contemplated and shared Mary’s love for her people, and you have shared the joys and sorrows of so many women and so many men who go on pilgrimage to the shrine to be covered by the mantle of the Mother.”
“You will be a priest, the friend of God for mankind, the one who knows how to listen with interest, to speak with opportunity and to make the journey with others on a daily basis. You will be the presence of the Lord among your brothers and sisters. I wish you to be a man of God, who always lives the joyful intimacy of the Father in order to unceasingly communicate God to others, in the Word, the Eucharist and in simple presence”.
Finally, he said: “You will be a man of the Church, with perfect fidelity to her mystery, with immense affection for your bishop, your superior, with a generous dedication of service to all the people of God entrusted to you”.
First Masses
After his ordination, Lucas Chiappe presided over his first Masses on Sunday, November 26 and Monday, November 27 at the Schoenstatt Shrine in San Isidro, where he was formed, and at the Los Olmos Shrine in Pilar.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, November 29 and Sunday, December 3, at 7 p.m., he will celebrate the Eucharist at St. Rose of Lima parish in Bragado and at Our Lady of Lujan Shrine, respectively.
“A recently ordained priest, very nice and loving, was at the Mass at the Shrine when one of our boys made his First Communion,” a neighbor from Pilar commented on Wednesday during a meeting with a friend, a Schoenstatter. “I was very touched, because it is a special moment in my life”. It was Fr. Lucas Chiappe.
Lucas Chiappe. The new priest’s motto is: Abide in my love.
With material from AICA, with permission of the editors.
Original: Spanish. Translation: Maria Fischer @schoenstatt.org
