A step that matures in the silence of daily life
Last December 6th, Fr. Marcelo Bragatto was ordained a deacon at
After completing his Theology studies, he lived a year of community immersion in the community of Our Lady of Fatima, in Mar del Plata. There, far from the academic rhythms, he began to experience more deeply what it means to embody the vocation in the real life of the people of God. “It is a time to listen, observe, serve, and discern”, he explains, a time where the mission is learned by walking with people and sharing the daily life of the community.
Encounters that strengthen the vocation
Looking back, Fr. Marcelo recognizes that the vocation is strengthened, above all, in personal encounters with Christ. “Every true encounter with Him is a moment to strengthen the vocation”, he affirms. These are experiences that not only confirm a decision but shape the deepest relationship between God and the person called.
Among all the formative stages, he holds a special affection for the novitiate, which he describes as an intense time of experiencing the Augustinian Recollect charism. There he learned to build identity from community life, to share the faith with his brothers, and to discover the value of fraternity as a theological place where God is revealed.
Discerning between desires and will
Fr. Marcelo does not idealize the vocational process. He understands it as a real path, where personal will meets—not without tensions—the project of love that God has prepared. “Discerning is learning to configure those two wills”, he explains, following the example of Jesus Christ, whose life was a constant search for the Father’s will.
In this journey, he recognizes the decisive influence of many people. Firstly, his parents, who sowed faith in him from childhood. And, very significantly, the testimony of elderly friars known during his formation. Religious whose silent fidelity and constant dedication left a deep mark, to the point of awakening in him the desire to live old age with the same coherence and generosity.
The diaconate as an attitude of the heart
For Fr. Marcelo, the diaconate is not reduced to a function or a specific position. It is, above all, a spiritual attitude. “The first deacons were raised by the Spirit to serve where the Church needed it”, he recalls. That is why he affirms with conviction: “He who wants to serve in the Church must trust in the Spirit”.
That trust leads him to understand service beyond specific places or tasks. Whether in the parish, in formation, in education, or in government, the important thing is to be led by the Spirit and be an instrument of the Father’s will.
Looking ahead, his desire is clear and humble: to be a witness, not of himself, but of the charity of God. “Not so that others remember me, but for the work of his Church, Mother and Teacher”, he affirms. A service oriented to promote communion, lived with simplicity, fidelity, and interior docility.
