For Father Alberto Debbi, the priestly vocation is to respond fully to the voice of God, who invites him to set sail, transcending the confines of a family, a hospital, and the country where he was born.
Every vocation is unique and unique
Last December 15 (2018) was a day full of joy for the diocesan community of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla, because from today, the diocese will have a new priest serving the flock of God. At 6 p.m. that evening, at the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary, Bishop Massimo Camisasca of the diocese laid his hands on the priesthood of deacon Alberto Debbi.
Priestly vocation is a precious gift from God to the Church and each vocation is unique and unique. For the new priest Alberto Debbi this is even more evident. Father's vocation is a very special journey. At the age of 42, with a doctor's degree, a bright future has opened the door for him, a warm home is waiting for him, but he has decided to put it all aside and solemnly sworn to become a priest of Christ to further serve others.
There's a Greater Love calling for me
Alberto Debbi was born on March 12, 1976, the fourth child in a family of six children of Enzo Debbi and Anna Rompianesi. From an early age, Alberto wanted to use his God-given gifts to help serve others. When Alberto was 18 years old, his father Enzo passed away after a serious illness. It was this event that helped Alberto to define concretely his desire to dedicate his life to others; Alberto chose to help people who were suffering from illness. He began his medical studies at Modena General University Hospital. After graduating in 2001, Alberto enrolled as a resident doctor and in 2005 he became a doctor specializing in respiratory diseases, in Modena.
With a doctor's degree, Alberto worked for six months in the hospital pharmacy in Scandiano, then eight months in the emergency room of Castelnovo Monti, and finally he went to the pulmonology department in Sassuolo (Modena), where he worked for almost seven years. five. During this time, Alberto wanted to get married and he was about to get married. But at that decisive moment, he had the courage, honestly, to admit that, from a human perspective, this choice did not make him completely happy.
It was fortunate for Alberto that his girlfriend understood his thinking and helped him realize what it really is to want the good of others. She agreed to allow Alberto to practice a time of discernment; and finally in 2011 they decided to break the engagement. Father Alberto said: “It may seem like a contradiction, but “the fundamental step was, through the love of my fiancée, to realize that there was a greater Love to which I was called to Love. there."
The smaller we become, the more God can work when using us
So, in 2012, Alberto attended the seminary's preparatory year while continuing to work at the hospital. Finally, in September 2013, he quit his job at the hospital and studied philosophy and theology. For Alberto, a therapist, returning to his classroom benches to study philosophy and theology was not a walk.
During his seminary years, Brother Alberto performed pastoral activities in a practical way: visiting the sick and families at Our Lady of Uliveto House in Montericco, accompanying young women who are victims of exploitation. sex, vocational support with the organization "The Well of Jacob", the sessions at Ghiara's Virgin of Charity Center in Reggio. For the last two years, Brother Alberto has lived a strong orientation in the field of charity and work with young people. On May 27, 2017, Brother Alberto was ordained a deacon.
Before his ordination, Father Alberto said: “I especially want to be a man of hope. A hope that does not end with illness and death… I believe that the priest is among the people and for the people, committed to bringing people closer to God and helping them find the true pasture of life. If on my day of receiving the diaconate I felt more than anything else to put my life in God's will by responding to His love, today I truly feel His grace. too full. It's all grace, and the smaller we become, the more God can work using us."
Hong Thuy – Vatican