CHESTERTON – “To know that saints are true men and women means we know that they are not perfect. They were men and women as you and I are. But saints are people who see God in every man and every woman,” said Father Don Paolo Ravaglia.
The priest from Italy shared that message as he spoke to students at St. Patrick Catholic School during an all-school Mass on Aug. 14, using his homily to discuss with the children the definition of a saint.
Father Ravagila recently spent time at St. Patrick during a visit to the Porter County parish from Aug. 4-Aug.15. In addition to being a pastor within the Diocese of Imola, Father Ravaglia works in the Vatican in the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. It’s a job he said that deals with very few problems and instead focuses on things for which to rejoice.
“This is why I think my work is wonderful,” he said. “It creates a wonderful possibility to see that God is really living and making people his friends.”
Father Ravaglia previously visited several places in the United States and was curious about visiting a different location within the country when he began to consider coming to the Chicago area. He wrote letters to local bishops asking for the opportunity to spend two weeks of his summer on a visit, and the Diocese of Gary’s Bishop McClory and Father Jon Plavcan were the first to respond.
“I am interested in learning more about different cultures and I thought that this would be an opportunity to learn about another diocese and also another priest that shares in the ministry of priesthood,” said Father Plavcan, pastor of St. Patrick, who conferred with Bishop McClory to make the visit possible.
Father Ravaglia said he tries to make a trip to the United States once a year if his schedule permits. His first time was in 2011, when he traveled to Miami. In the following years, he spent time in New York, Denver and New Jersey.
“You find not only a different language, because the language is very different between different areas of the United States, but also the feeling of people is different. So, this is why I'm so curious about meeting people and making experiences in the pastoral ministries.”
During his time in the diocese, Father Ravaglia stayed at the parish in Chesterton and was warmly received by Father Plavcan.
“He is a very kind and good man,” said Father Ravaglia. “And a very welcoming man. He arranged for me everything I needed.”
He also shared his appreciation for Father Plavcan understanding the purpose of his visit.
“In my previous experiences, I went to the parishes and the pastor said, ‘Oh, you are on vacation, so I am not going to ask you to do work, but I come to the United States because my vacation is to do pastoral work in the United States,” said Father Ravaglia. “Father Jon is the first one who understood this and before I came, before I left Italy, he prepared a schedule for me.”
On that schedule was a series of Masses, confessions and visits to the homebound.
Father Ravaglia said he loves the Church of the United States and tries to follow everything happening inside the country’s Catholic Church. One aspect of the faith in America he has witnessed is the strong devotion among believers.
“In the United States being a Christian is a choice so if you choose to be Christian you are really a Christian. It is not just out of habit. I met really motivated people here,” he said.
Father Ravaglia, while noting his joy for being a priest in Italy, said he does reflect on his pastoral work in Italy based on what he experienced in the United States. He noted the Church in Italy is also going through a transitional moment similar to the U.S.
“One of the most important things in the United States now that is repeated by the pastors, by the bishops is this need to become missionary disciples. So that is what I try to do in Italy, too,” he said.
Father Ravaglia also sees the importance in the Eucharistic Revival. He said parishes in Italy focus on social activities – making the church a social center for those of every age including children, teenagers, adults and the elderly – and while that is positive, more work needs to be done.
“Sometimes I think we forget that the main thing we have, the most important thing we have, is Jesus giving his life for us. So, we have to make this announcement incredible and something amazing,” he said.
“In Italy we are losing all the teenagers attending church,” Father Ravaglia continued. “It's incredible because this generation felt itself non-loved . . . So, they feel themselves not loved. And the message we have for them is ‘You are in the world because you are beloved. If you are here, it is because of the love of God for you.’”
Father Ravaglia did have the opportunity to meet parishioners of every age during his time in Northwest Indiana, even crossing paths with two families originating from his own province in norther Italy.
In addition to presiding at his first ever school Mass, Father Ravaglia was present alongside Father Plavcan welcoming students back to St. Patrick School on the first day of school on Aug. 11. He said he enjoyed talking with some of the teachers and seeing the children arrive with various expressions on their faces from happy, to angry, to sleepy.
“I have enjoyed this visit with Father,” said Father Plavcan. “I have learned how grateful I should be as a priest in the United States. There are many benefits that we receive as priests compared to the priests in Italy. Also, I appreciated experiencing the joyfulness of priests from different parts of the world that we here in the United States take for granted of how blessed we are.”
Caption: Father Don Paolo Ravaglia (center) presides over a Mass for St. Patrick Catholic School students on Aug. 14 with pastor Father Jon Plavcan (right) concelebrating and assisted by Deacon Gilbert Sanchez (left). Father Ravaglia, an Italian priest who serves on the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints for the Vatican, talked with the children during the homily about what it means to be a saint. (Erin Ciszczon photo)