On December 13, the third Sunday of Advent, the communities of Rome I and II honored and said farewell to Fr. Rafael Gonçalves da Costa and Fr. Claude Siebenaler who, after 18 and 34 years of service respectively in the community of Rome, are returning to their entities: Fr. Rafael to Portugal and Fr. Claude to Luxembourg.
Listen to the introduction for the Mass (fr. Heiner Wilmer SCJ)
In the morning, the Eucharist was presided by the Archbishop of Luxemburg, Most Rev. Jean-Claude Hollerich, at the Generalate’s main chapel. In his homily, Fr. Heiner Wilmer, superior general, thanked the Lord for the gifts of Fr. Rafael and Fr. Claudio and what they have given to our Congregation.
Listen to the introduction of the Mass (fr. Heiner Wilmer SCJ)
In accepting the invitation offered by the liturgy of the third Sunday of Advent, to celebrate the joy, Fr. Heiner affirmed that it is possible to win over the pain and sadness of the departure if we let ourselves be engulfed with the joy given to us by the Lord Jesus. His joy is liberating and life-generating. And it is this certainity that has led these two confreres in their lives in Rome: Fr. Rafael in his work at the Dehon Study Center (DSC), and Fr. Claudio, first as a General Secretary and then, also, as a collaborator of the DSC.
Listen to the thanks of the community (fr. Victor de Oliviera Barbosa SCJ)
After the Mass, the celebration continued with fraternal meal, hosted by the International College community.
Both moments of the celebration were enhanced by the presence of friends of Fr. Rafael, from the Diocese of Fano-Fossombrone-Cagli-Pergola, where he carried out his priestly ministry for several years before rendering his full-time service to the DSC, and the relatives of Fr. Claudio, who came from Luxembourg.
Let us bless the Lord for the testimony of faith transmitted to us by Fr. Rafael and Fr. Claudio. Both of them have shown us how precious our Dehonian vocation is; by their example they have reminded us that the mercy which is so dear to Fr. Dehon should be the special character of our consecration.
