Brother Riccardo Varagnolo says he first began to think about the religious life as a young man, when he had doubts about his future and a sense of personal unfulfillment caused him to question the meaning of life.
That search eventually led him to the Koinonia John the Baptist community.
“After a period of discernment, I felt the Lord’s call on May 2, 2015, and I entered my community as a lay consecrated member,” he said. “In the community, I grew in my relationship with the Lord and developed in my pastoral work, gaining experience not only in Italy but also in Mexico. My superiors suggested the opportunity to begin my studies and my pastoral experience in Bridgeport further strengthened my desire to embark on the path toward the priestly ministry.”
On August 15, Brother Riccardo will be ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Frank J. Caggiano at Our Lady of Good Counsel Chapel at 163 Ortega Avenue in Bridgeport at 11 am.
Father Adriano Biccheri, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish/Koinonia John the Baptist, said, “The upcoming ordination of our consecrated brother Riccardo is a vital moment for our small Koinonia, which has been steadily taking root here in the local Church of Bridgeport.”
Father said that from the beginning, the priestly ministry has been important to the community because it represents a direct link with the local bishop and highlights the apostolic nature of Koinonia’s evangelization.
“We firmly believe there is no true transmission of the Gospel without the living experience we encounter in the Eucharist and in the sacraments of healing, especially Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick,” he said. “Brother Riccardo’s ordination will deeply enrich our oasis and strengthen our primary mission of kerygmatic evangelization.”
He said that having another priest will also let Koinonia “stretch our arms further to care for other communities across the United States and abroad where families are longing for the spiritual support of a pastor.”
Brother Riccardo said he is grateful to God for his guidance throughout his vocation and looks forward to serving the faithful of the Diocese of Bridgeport with joy, humility and dedication.
Born in Contarina, Italy, on June 5, 1991 to Zelindo and Katy Varagnolo, he grew up in a Catholic family actively involved in Koinonia John the Baptist. He has three siblings, Valentina, Davide and Sara. From a young age, he participated in parish life and youth ministry.
Brother Riccardo earned a degree in information engineering from the University of Padua in 2014. During his university years, he remained active in evangelization and youth ministry while discerning God’s call to religious life.
In May 2015, he entered Koinonia John the Baptist, made his first religious vows in October 2016, and served in pastoral ministry in Rome and Sardinia. In 2019, he was assigned to the community in Puebla, Mexico, where he continued his missionary service until 2021.
Since 2021, Brother Riccardo has been pursuing theological studies in Rome while continuing his formation for ordained ministry. Last year, he came to the Diocese of Bridgeport, where he was ordained to the transitional diaconate.
“Our hope is that Brother Riccardo will support both the numerical and spiritual growth of our members serving the diocese,” Father Biccheri said. “We want to multiply opportunities to engage young people and adults in proclaiming the Kerygma, build new ministries for the Hispanic community, and foster warm communities of friendship where the sense of belonging is both strong and attractive. Ultimately, we pray that his witness as a new priest will spark fresh enthusiasm for others to answer the call to consecrated life.”
The Foundation Koinonia John the Baptist has thousands of members worldwide, including families, consecrated brothers and sisters, and priests. Individual Koinonias are centers of evangelization and spiritual life, and members get together regularly to grow in their faith and train the faithful to evangelize.
Koinonia began in 1979 after Father Ricardo Arganaraz had a powerful experience of the Holy Spirit. The priest from Argentina was on the track to become a papal nuncio but left the Vatican because he realized the Lord was calling him to something different. As a result, he withdrew to a secluded mountain area in Italy with three others to pursue a life of prayer, work and study.
Koinonia is a Greek word that means “fellowship, sharing in common and communion,” and its mission is to promote the New Evangelization through activities, training programs and the formation of a community.
