Mauricio Sinelli is ordained priest in São Paulo
In an atmosphere of profound gratitude and joy, the parish of Sant’Ana in the Diocese of Santo Amaro, São Paulo, Brazil, witnessed the priestly ordination of our brother Mauricio Sinelli, member of the Sodalitium of Christian Life. The celebration, presided over by Msgr. José Negri, PIME, Bishop of Santo Amaro, brought together relatives, Sodalits and members of the spiritual family, who accompanied the new priest in this significant moment of his life and vocation.
The priestly ordination ceremony was attended by his closest family members, including his father, his godmother, his older brother, his two sisters, his great-aunt and several cousins. He was also accompanied by his brothers: Juan Carlos Boldt, Vicar General of the Sodalitium, and Fr. Marcello Carrillo, Assistant General for Spirituality of the Sodalitium, along with seven other Sodalit priests and two deacons.
In addition, the Eucharist was concelebrated by three diocesan priests: the parish priest of Sant’Ana, the parish priest of the Cathedral of the Diocese of Santo Amaro, and a priest from the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro.
Humility and mercy, keys in priestly life
During the homily, Bishop José Negri reflected on the motto chosen by the new priest: “My heart is ready, my God, my heart is ready.” Referring to this passage from the psalm [57 (56), 8], the bishop stressed that this motto is a “cry of response from the psalmist, which begins with the invocation: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge.”
“I suppose, dear Maurice, that at this moment you are asking, in addition to the gift of the priesthood, above all for divine mercy. This is the right step! Before being priests, we are human, we are fallible. Even when the people fell into the temptation of deifying a candidate, beneath so many garments remains a man who needs God’s mercy.”
“This humility will be necessary throughout our lives, to understand that He is the one who does everything; we are mere instruments of the grace that has been entrusted to us. And, when the temptation to replace Him becomes stronger, and with that you feel great frustration for your mistakes, do not forget this passage: ‘In you I take refuge.’ That is why you chose: ‘My heart is prepared, it is ready.’”
“If your heart is ready, it means that everything in you will be ready. Do not forget that you, as a religious person, have already offered your life to God. And perhaps that is why you chose this beautiful motto: ‘I am ready, Lord, with everything and for everything… with everything, with myself and wherever the Lord wants me to make this donation… to the ends of the earth.’”
At one point, Bishop José Negri surprised everyone present by asking the newly ordained Fr. Mauricio Sinelli to give him his blessing. With this gesture that moved the assembly, the bishop knelt before him, showing profound reverence and respect for the priestly grace conferred.
Gratitude and reflection
Days after his priestly ordination, Fr. Mauricio Sinelli reflects on the magnitude of what he has experienced and shares his feelings of profound gratitude:
“I confess that I am still processing everything. I am just grateful, grateful to God our Father, who welcomes me into his Holy Church. Gratitude to my family, gratitude to my Sodalit brothers, gratitude to all my baptized brothers in the spiritual family that he has entrusted to me, that he has given me to serve,” he said.
Mauricio with his dad.
In the context of the grace received at his ordination, Fr. Mauricio Sinelli offers a reflection for those considering the priesthood. “I think the great theme of all life is not to be afraid, but not in the most obvious sense, but in the line of having insecurities, weaknesses, not controlling everything, not seeing as we would like, this is scary, in the face of this is the response of faith: trust, trust in Him and He comes! And you will be surprised at what the Lord does.”
Finally, we thank God for the gift of a new brother priest in our community and offer our prayers to Fr. Mauricio Sinelli.