“Father almighty, give to this son the dignity of the presbyterate. I renew in him the outpouring of your Spirit of holiness.”
With these words, pronounced by Bishop Francesco Nolè, o.f.m. conv., archbishop of Cosenza, our Dehonian confrere, Amedeo Tocci of the South Italian Province, was ordained a priest on the evening of Saturday, May 27, 2017 (video), in the Cosmeti District, surrounded by members of his province. In attendance was Fr. Massimo Bellilo, provincial superior, as well as members of the General Curia, including Fr. Carlos Enrique Caamaño, vicar general, members of the Rome II community, and the provincial superiors of the North Italian and British-Irish provinces.
A busy church welcomed our congregation; it was in this local church that Fr. Amedeo’s faith was born. The two-hour ordination ceremony was carried out with simplicity and elegance, planned with beautiful taste and dedication, including the efforts of the choir and the ministers.
Fr. Almedeo and his family was overwhelmed by emotion, which continued the following day, the Sunday of the Ascension of the Lord, with the celebration of the First Mass in our parish of St. Paul the Apostle (video), next to the great University of Calabria (Unical). Our confreres minister there; it is where Fr. Amedeo discovered his vocation of Dehonian priesthood. This vocation will continue to be fulfilled in daily service lived and carried on in the community, living our spirituality. God, who started this work in Amedeo, brings it to completion. Best wishes!
