Fr. Ronny Alessio is the new EUM Provincial
Father General of the Society of Jesus Arturo Sosa Abascal SJ has appointed Fr. Ronny Alessio SJ as new Provincial of the Euro-Mediterranean Province.
Father Alessio was born on 28 October 1974 in Bassano del Grappa (VI). He got to know the Jesuits in Padua through the elizabethine franciscan tertiary sisters. He lived a time of discernment that lasted four years, helped first by Fr Luigi Saggin and then by Fr Franz Tata.
In the meantime, he completed his studies in Mechanical Engineering, specialising in energy, at the University of Padua, attending the Don Nicola Mazza College. During this time at university, in his home town, he worked first as a turner and miller and then, for the last four years, in the family bar. He also collaborated with a Family House for the accompaniment of young people with family difficulties. Here he deepened his faith and, thanks to the care of the director, Sr Albina, got to know the Jesuits.
After his novitiate in Genoa, he completed his studies in Philosophy in Padua (2004-2006), regency in Shkodra, and the three-year Theology course in Madrid (2008-2011). He was ordained a priest on 14th April 2012. He obtained a Licentiate in Pastoral Liturgy in Padua (2011-2013). He is then assigned to Shkodra as Director General of the ‘Atë Pjetër Meshkalla’ School (2013-2018), doing his tertianship in Dublin and Athens (2018-2019).
From 2019 to 2021 he is the delegate for the implementation of the Apostolic Project of the Province. He professed his Last Vows at Posillipo on 8 October 2021. From 2019 to 2023 he is President of CeFAEGI which runs formation programmes for the teachers of the schoosl that form part of the Jesuit Education Foundation. From 2021 to 2023 he is President of the Sant’Ignazio SSD Football Club of Trieste and general procurator of the Jesuit Fathers’ Residence. From 2021 to 2024 he is the Rector of the Pontifical Seminary of Campania. On 8 October 2024 he was appointed Provincial, by a decree of Fr General Arturo Sosa.
Accompanying a shared journey
“I want to share my deep gratitude mixed with a certain sadness at my leaving my present mission”, insists Fr Ronny in his message of greeting. “Perhaps I too was growing a little numb, touched more by the mission than by the apostolic body.
Fr General, in his letter of 19 June, expresses the wish that all members of the Province put themselves in an attitude of true spiritual conversion to do their utmost to walk together. He adds that this will be the primary task of the next leadership of the Province: to accompany this journey, entering into a climate of greater collaboration, shared discernment, availability for service and any changes that may be necessary.
All this without retreating into ourselves – the Jubilee invites us to become ‘pilgrims of hope’, the Synod calls for a Church in mission, which knows how to go out of itself and inhabit the geographical and existential peripheries, while establishing links with all in Christ, our Brother and Lord.
I would like to thank Fr Roberto, who has shaped a government structure that the General views with appreciation, strengthening the relationship with all of you as much as possible.
How can we do this? I don’t know, the parable of the Good Samaritan comes to mind … asking for the gift of loving one’s neighbour, of being a bit of a Samaritan, a bit of an innkeeper … I hope not so much like the brigands, half-dead or indifferent.
I hope I can be of help to the Province. I ask for the prayers of you all, Jesuits, lay people, religious and priests, the intercession of the Patron Saints of the new Province, the blessed Jesuit martyrs in Albania Fr Giovanni Fausti SJ (Italian), Fr Daniel Dajani SJ (Albanian) and Br Gjon Pantalija SJ (Kosovar), entrusting ourselves to Our Lady of the Way, Mary Queen of Peace, that she may make us persons capable of bringing peace and witnesses of peace in war zones”.
“We welcome with a heart full of gratitude to the Lord the gift of Fr Ronny Alessio, whom Father General has chosen to lead our EUM Province over the next few years”, points out Fr Roberto Del Riccio. “In order to sincerely support Fr Ronny in his new service as our Provincial, we are called to accept the invitation that Fr General has addressed to us: to put ourselves seriously in an attitude of true spiritual conversion in order to walk together with a deep sense of the unity of the Body. Grateful to Ronny for accepting his new mission as Provincial, let us ask the Lord to kindle in each of us the desire to allow ourselves to be converted by Him into living members of this least Society bearing His name”.
The Euro-Mediterranean Province of the Society of Jesus, born on 1 July 2017, includes Albania, Italy, Malta and Romania. It has 384 Jesuits present in 35 communities. It is involved in around a hundred works in the social, cultural and educational fields, with young people and for the promotion of the Spiritual Exercises.
