On Sunday, September 26, 2026, a Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated to mark twenty-five years of parish ministry carried out by Friar Umberto FANFARILLO, OFM Conv., Pastor of Santa Dorotea Parish Church in Rome.
The Mass was presided over by the Most Reverend Vittorio Francesco VIOLA, OFM, Archbishop and Secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Also present with the honoree, Friar Umberto, were numerous concelebrating priests, as well as the friars of the neighboring San Giacomo Friary in Rome.
The celebration was attended by several civil and military authorities, family members who had traveled from Alatri and Como, Italy, as well as many parishioners, friends, and members of the Confraternity of St. Anthony.
In his homily, Archbishop VIOLA highlighted the meaning of the Sunday readings and their relevance to Friar Umberto’s many years of dedicated pastoral ministry in service to the people of God in Rome’s Trastevere district. He carried out his ministry in the Franciscan spirit, in a distinctive parish shaped in part by a strong tourist presence, which over the years has become a hub of human and spiritual hospitality.
At the end of the celebration, the congregation heard messages of support from Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro PAROLIN, and the Minister General, Friar Carlos TROVARELLI.
After the Mass, a new book was presented that had been published by the parish and edited by Friar Paolo FIASCONARO. It recounts Friar Umberto’s twenty-five-year pastoral journey in the parish, from 2001 to 2026.
The book opens with a preface by Cardinal Matteo ZUPPI, a foreword by the Minister Provincial of the Italian Province of St. Francis of Assisi (Central Italy), Friar Francesco LENTI, and an introduction by the author. The 136-page volume is illustrated with approximately one hundred photographs. It has nine chapters, interspersed with several sections dedicated to the Canticle of the Creatures as Friar Umberto’s hymn of praise to the Most High God.
Of particular interest are the thirteen testimonials from those who knew and appreciated Friar Umberto’s qualities. They describe the devotion and vitality of a friar who has guided his flock in a spirit of service and pastoral care, fostering a “Church that goes forth,” with doors always open and with a particular commitment to culture and charity.
The book was presented by its author, Friar Paolo, during a meeting moderated by Friar Michele PELLEGRINI, with testimonials from Friar Umberto’s brother, Vittorio FANFARILLO, and Friar Umberto’s confrere, Friar Vittorio TRANI.
The testimonials highlighted the distinctive features of Friar Umberto’s long priestly and Franciscan ministry. Despite some initial difficulties, Friar Umberto spent many years building a parish community in a neighborhood that also flourished in terms of human and Franciscan development.
The evening concluded with a social gathering and a fraternal agape meal on the terrace of the San Giacomo Friary in Trastevere.
Lorenza CASSANELLI
Secretary of the Missionary Center of the Federazione Inter-mediterranea Ministri Provinciali (FIMP)
