Story by Joe Pisani
Photos by Amy Mortensen
BRIDGEPORT—The Blessed Mother was surely smiling from her throne in Heaven.
On the Feast of the Assumption, one of her sons, Brother Riccardo Varagnolo of Koinonia John the Baptist, was ordained to the priesthood in a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel, which had been on the verge of closing three times.
Bishop Frank J. Caggiano told Brother Riccardo, “You are making history because you are the first to be ordained in this sacred place, in this community here.” He was also the first member of Koinonia John the Baptist to be ordained in the United States and incardinated in any diocese.
Parishioners, priests, deacons and seminarians from the diocese and Koinonia communities as far as Rome and Los Angeles filled the church, which was nearly closed before Koinonia arrived four years ago.
“Of all the days to be ordained—on this day when the Virgin Mary took the seat that was prepared for her in glory,” the bishop said. “She was the perfect disciple, the faithful mother. When you are ordained for all eternity and she sees you, she will see us. And just as there was nothing Our Lady would not do for her Son, she will do the same for you, so let her walk with you. Allow her to lead you and at times correct you. And, please God, a hundred years from now, when you go into the mystery of death, she will take one son and give him to her divine Son. Just imagine how many songs we will sing in Heaven together, my friend!”
With that, the faithful broke into vigorous applause.
During his homily, the bishop said every day of Brother Riccardo’s life he had been accompanied by his parents and family, and by members of Koinonia, whose profound faith led him to this moment.
“They have been praying for you since you were a little boy that you would find what God had asked of you. And you in your journey were a bit like me, kind of stubborn and sometimes deaf,” the bishop said. “But you heard and to your eternal credit said yes to come into the Koinonia and give your life to Jesus.”
The bishop called him “a man of joy,” whose example will lead many to Christ. “Anyone who has met you knows you beams with joy because you walk in the power of the Spirit,” he said. “So when you preach the Word of God, preach it with joy and preach it with your life because for some people, words go in one ear and out the other. But when they see your life, they will realize you are telling them the truth.”
Bishop Caggiano then proceeded with the Rite of Ordination, performing the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination, invoking the Holy Spirit on Brother Riccardo, thereby completing the sacred ritual. Newly ordained, he was vested as a priest by Father Adriano Biccheri, Parish Administrator of Our Lady of Good Counsel.
The bishop said Father Riccardo had the distinction of being the tallest man he ever ordained—at almost 6 feet, 6 inches.
Bishop Caggiano praised Father Biccheri and Koinonia for their role in the renewal of the diocese.
“There are many blessings in this diocese,” he told the faithful. “They are blessings more than we can count, all of which we probably don’t deserve. Among the greatest blessings we have in this diocese is that Koinonia John the Baptist has made their home here at Our Lady of Good Counsel because they have taken a community that was on the verge of closing and given it explosive new life. So persevere my friends. The renewal is only beginning. You are part of a renewal that will lead the Church to new life.”
Commenting on his ordination, Father Riccardo said: “It feels wonderful. The Holy Spirit is here today. It is a great day because the Lord is leading us and guiding us. I feel a great peace in my heart. This is a new day for me, and the Lord will continue to guide my life.”
Expressing his joy, Father Biccheri said: “We are living the miracle Bishop Frank prophesied. This celebration is another starting point for us. This new minister will help energize our evangelization efforts in English and Spanish and later perhaps in Portuguese and Italian.”
“Our hope is Father Riccardo will support both the numerical and spiritual growth of our members serving the diocese,” he added. “We want to multiply opportunities to engage young people and adults in proclaiming the Kerygma, build new ministries and foster communities of friendship where the sense of belonging is strong and attractive. We pray that his witness as a new priest will spark fresh enthusiasm for others to answer the call to consecrated life.”
Brother Michele Bertaja, a member of the community, will be leaving for Rome in October to begin studies for the priesthood, he said, and Brother Pablo Espinal has taken vows to enter the consecrated life.
Chris Elsberry, a parishioner for 40 years, said, “This parish barely survived and was about to be closed three times, but God found a way to raise the chapel up from the ashes. Bishop Caggiano gave us an extra year, and then the Koinonia arrived and this church is alive again. If you told me four years ago we would be ordaining a new priest, I would have said you were crazy. Now, there’s new life and excitement.”
His wife Lorelei put it simply: “It’s like walking with the Apostles.”
Longtime parishioner Lisa Landone recalled praying in the garden with the chapel’s parochial vicar, Father Seraphim Rohlman, shortly before he died, when it was on the verge of closing.
“He told me, ‘Lisa, I had a dream that there were so many people in this church the walls were sweating,’” she recalled. “That day is today. We are seeing so many miracles in the life of this church. God didn’t just keep us open, he filled us with his love.”
Father Riccardo first began to think about the religious life as a young man, when he had doubts about his future and a sense of unfulfillment led him to question the meaning of life.
“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. “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.”
Born in Contarina, Italy, on June 5, 1991 to Zelindo and Katy Varagnolo, he grew up in a Catholic family involved in Koinonia John the Baptist. He has three siblings, Valentina, Davide and Sara.
He also 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.
What is Koinonia?
Lorelei Elsberry, a parishioner of Our Lady of Good Counsel Chapel in Bridgeport, describes Koinonia John the Baptist in one sentence: “It’s like walking with the Apostles.”
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.
Koinonia John the Baptist, Oasis in Bridgeport came to Our Lady of Good Counsel four years ago and energized a parish that had been about to close three times.
