The "delta" of Fr. Ronny.

I opened the door slowly. I was nine years old and for the first time I was listening to the testimony of a young seminarian in the parish. The style of Jesus appealed to me, especially that of forming close friendships.  Afterwards, my life consisted of ups and downs and pursuing what I liked.

I was animator of the Catholic Action in Romano D’Ezzellino in the province of Vicenza, where I lived when the vice parish priest invited me for an experience at the service camp in Barbiana, in Mugello, to learn about the figure of Don Lorenzo Milani. I had just graduated from the professional institute. I was a turner and a miller ready to enter the business world.  I started reading Don Lorenzo's letters. While on those hills I started thinking for the first time about continuing my studies in engineering to build tools that would improve my work and that of others. There were three experiences that contributed to my growth: my stay at the "don Nicola Mazza" college, where I expanded my vision of the world, through meeting young people from Brazil, Georgia, and Africa following different studies. Another was at an Institute for teenage girls coming from difficult family backgrounds. The Elizabethan nuns worked there. They were the same nuns who were in charge of the kindergarten which I attended as a child and to whom I owe a lot. It is there that my dream which developed in my days at Barbiana started to take shape: to live the concreteness of the Gospel in everyday life. It was precisely an Elizabethan nun who directed me to Father Saggin to experience spiritual direction. It was a time of discernment, an important milestone for many aspects of my life. I wanted to understand if the priesthood was my calling. I left Padua to start working in Lonigo continuing spiritual direction with Fr. Tata. I met people capable of giving true and free friendship.

One day at the Youth Center of Padua where I had been going for the umpteenth time, I noticed stuck to the façade of the chapel of the Center a photocopy of a letter by Fr. Arrupe. Fr General was questioning very seriously the Society and its way of proceeding, words that gave me deep consolation. That November 17, 2002, when I entered the novitiate, I experienced the longest journey of my life. My mom and brother were always trying to find out whether I changed my mind. During that journey I tried to trust, to go far, to learn about different cultures in order to examine my life patterns. Suddenly, I was taken by surprise, when I was about to finish my theology studies in Madrid, Spain, the provincial asked me to study for my license in Liturgy in Padua and afterwards I was being sent to Albania. These were two special years because for the first time my studies were a source of great wealth! I met new people and new branches of learning. I started to perceive a new vision of the world. Even the way I trusted started to change. It was trusting more unconditionally.  I was to arrive in Albania in 2014 to take up the post of director of the School around 2017 but in 2014 I started my work as director without knowing the language and without ever having worked in a school office. In 2019 I was asked by the Provincial to follow the development of the Apostolic Plan. Day after day I wake up to new surprises, especially during this time. I learned to be patient and wait.