Kicked out of Mass as a mischievous child, Pope Leo will ordain him Sunday
The Diocese of Rome shared the testimonies of eight seminarians who, on April 26, Good Shepherd Sunday, will be ordained priests by Pope Leo XIV. Among them is Christian Sguazzino, who as a child was once kicked out of Mass by a priest because he was causing “chaos.”
Sguazzino, together with Deacon Danilo Defant and Sister Ester Maddalena Iapenna, will share their testimonies on Friday, April 24, at St. John Lateran Basilica, the cathedral church of Rome, during the prayer vigil for vocations.
Sguazzino discovered his vocation at St. John of the Cross Parish. “When I was a child — after having made my first Communion — I would go play soccer and then attend Mass every day, always bringing a friend along,” the future priest recounted.
“At that time, there wasn’t even a proper church building; instead, services were held in tents. My friends and I, naturally, caused a bit of chaos. So, one day the assistant pastor kicked us out and told us we would be excommunicated!” he shared with a smile.
Recalling that time of mischief, Sguazzino said that “even then — despite everything — I felt the joy of being in church; I loved looking at the altar and the tabernacle.” Along his journey, he emphasized, it was crucial to meet “so many priests who were happy to be priests. Their witness was fundamental.”
An uncle who was a priest always supported him
Yordan Camilo Medina is Colombian and has an uncle who is a priest. As a child, he recounted, “I used to accompany him to take Communion to the mountain communities, and the joy of the faithful upon receiving the body of Christ was incredible.”
“Now he, too, is in Rome, and I have followed him here on my path of priestly formation. He has always supported me,” he added.
He dreamed of becoming a friar
Giovanni Emanuele Nunziante is 32 years old. He was born in Rome but spent part of his childhood in England. “If I had to tell you how my vocation began, my earliest memory dates back to when I was a child,“ he said. ”I didn’t yet fully understand what it meant to be a priest, but I dreamed of being close to the Lord and toyed with the idea of becoming a friar. Then, it all faded into oblivion!”
The call returned with force in 2016, during the Fourth Sunday of Easter. “Upon hearing the Gospel of the Good Shepherd, that desire to be close to the Lord in a special way returned … I realized that my deepest desire was to offer my life just as Jesus did — the Good Shepherd,” he said.
The influence of the Neocatechumenal Way
Antonino Ordine, 27, related that his vocation was born within the faith formation program known as the Neocatechumenal Way: “I was born and raised in a very practicing family, and this led me to appreciate the beauty of the work the Church carries out on a daily basis. I was fortunate enough to meet priests and missionary families especially during a mission in Sweden who were fundamental to my discernment.”
He had wanted to become a doctor and after having served on missions in Latin America, the Middle East, and India, he realized that God was calling him to give himself completely out of love for him.
He was born in Africa into a non-Catholic family
Jos Emanuel Nleme Sabate was born in Cameroon. “My father was Protestant and we often prayed at home,” he said. “When I was 11 years old, I entered the minor seminary of my home diocese because it had a reputation as an excellent school. It was there that I learned about Catholicism.”
“I was baptized at the age of 12 and I believe it was during that rite, which was unfamiliar to me at the time, that I decided to become a priest,” he shared. He is now studying sign language and helping people with disabilities.
He was a pianist of international stature
“I come from a Catholic family,” Daniele Riscica related, “and I have always participated in parish activities; however, I studied at the Frosinone Conservatory and completed my piano studies in classical music. From there, I continued my career as a concert pianist.”
Regarded as a rising star of the international piano scene by the age of 24, he said, “I had already achieved many goals in life, yet I was not satisfied. I felt that God was calling me to something more. So I tried entering the seminary — almost as a test … and there I felt happy.”
He is grateful for his parents’ faith
Giorgio Larosa is 30 years old and said that his “vocation was born out of attending the parish, thanks to the faith my parents instilled in me.”
His parents’ example, as well as “the example of other Christians, laypeople and priests, was also very powerful. In their stories, I saw the power of the Gospel,” he recounted.
He left his job and entered the seminary
Guglielmo Lapenna is 35 years old and worked in a liquor factory before beginning his formation for the priesthood.
“During World Youth Day 2016 in Kraków, I decided to leave my job and enter the seminary,” he shared, adding: “And the Lord has reaffirmed my vocation every day.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.