Get to Know Fr. Mario Rizzo

Get to Know Father Mario Rizzo Parochial Administrator, St. Joseph Basilica

Q: You are not new to the St. Joseph Family; I understand you served as a Deacon here prior to your time at Christ the King. What stands out to you about the St. Joseph community?

There are many things that stand out to me about the St. Joseph community. One of them is its diversity. St. Joseph is a microcosm of the East Bay, but also of the universal Church. We have parishioners and students from every continent. And yet, far from dividing us, we are a community that comes together to celebrate our different cultures.

Another thing that stands out to me, which is a fruit of the Shelter-in-Place order, is how the community has come together to support each other. Each different entity, the elementary school, the high school, and the Basilica, have all found innovative ways to connect, not because we have to, but because we want to. We find comfort in each others’ presence, which is something that has been fostered here for many years. I feel privileged to be a part of this community that actively extends itself to others.

Q: For our students, you bring a very relatable presence, coming from a mixed-faith family, growing up in the East Bay and attending UC Berkeley. Take us through your journey from suburban life in Lafayette/ Moraga, to your time at Cal, and now to priesthood. What drew you to this vocation?

My path to priesthood was not what you may think, and yet, if you get to know other priests, you would see that we have similar stories. Most of these include some participation in the secular world, and a coming to see that what they were doing was not for them. This isn’t to say that the secular world is bad, not at all; most of us are called to live in the world. But for a man with a vocation to the priesthood, it usually takes some trial and error.

For me, I was a theater major in college, and then afterwards was working as a freelance lighting designer. I wasn’t really strong in my faith, but I had a solid foundation, which came from my Catholic father and Jewish mother. My five siblings and I grew up celebrating Christmas and Easter, as well as Hanukkah and Passover. So, I always knew deep within that there was a God, just not that He knew me personally, and loved me personally, and had a unique plan for me, and me alone, that would make me happy.

As I continued my work in theater, instead of feeling a sense of satisfaction, I felt unsatisfied, as if there was something more that I was meant to do. So, I began to explore my Catholic faith a little bit more, which was a result of singing at Church to earn some extra money. Sharing that gift of singing at Sunday Mass led to singing at funerals, which led me to go to daily Mass, and then Adoration. Slowly but surely, with the help from some good priests, I began to discern the priesthood.

This was a quick process. I visited St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park one day in the summer of 2011, and pretty abruptly decided to apply. I sensed that I could see myself serving the people of the Church, who had inspired me by their simple examples of holiness.

I entered the seminary in August, and always share with people how from the day I moved in, I felt a peace like I had never felt before. Through a long and winding path of trying different things and different jobs, most of which ended in failure, God led me to a place of real peace and joy.

Q: What is your vision for the future of St. Joseph Basilica and the St. Joseph community?

In thinking about how I got to the seminary and what I learned there, I think it is fair to say that much of what I went through and experienced is something a parish should also do. After all, my home parish of St. Monica saw three men join the seminary in a period of 10 years; before that, in its 50+ years of existence or so, it saw zero.

So, some of these things are a beautiful and reverent liturgy. This includes everything from friendly ushers and greeters, to beautiful music of different genres. I want people to leave Sunday Mass having participated in something, and experienced something, that they cannot get out in the world: a beautiful liturgy with a welcoming community that loves to sing.

This means the parish will also need to be a place of education. We cannot simply ask people to go to Mass, we have to educate continually, especially our adults and parents, because there is so much to learn about our faith and pass on. I would narrow our faith

"This is an opportunity for transformation, for growth, for getting outside of ourselves, and putting others first."

formation to these areas: Scripture, the Sacraments, especially the Mass and the Eucharist, and Prayer, which includes the lives of the Saints.

If we do these things well, then that will lead us to go out into the world to serve, and to share what we have learned; what has transformed us. Having learned about the story of God’s love for us in Scripture, and having encountered Him in the Sacraments and in prayer, our community cannot be anything but impelled to go out, to share the Gospel - the Good News - which is the meaning of Evangelization. Each member of the St. Joseph community should feel empowered, and equipped to meet the poor, and to talk to their loved ones and strangers about Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, and be able to invite them to come and experience what the Church has to offer. Q: As you know, this is a trying time for our community - and the world - as we navigate how to live through a pandemic. What spiritual guidance can you give to individuals struggling during this time?

A couple of things. First, a passage from John’s Gospel: “...the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Jesus, of course, is the Light of the World, and he shines brilliantly, especially in the darkness. Naturally, we think, if he is God, why does he allow the darkness in the first place? That’s a good question, without a simple answer. What gives me hope and courage is knowing that Jesus does not need to prevent every moment of darkness. I believe he allows them so that he can prove to us, who so often forget, that he is stronger than the darkness. He will overcome this, and he invites us into the struggle so that we can share in the victory with him.

Which means that this is an opportunity for transformation, for growth, for getting outside of ourselves, and putting others first. We need these opportunities in life because our fallen nature tends to put ourselves first. Yet, this is not what satisfies us. What satisfies us is giving ourselves away in love for another. So, while we may be tempted to look at how our own situations have devolved recently, what we may want to consider is how I can make someone else’s life better. Paradoxically, when I give myself away in love to them, I don’t lose anything at all. On the contrary, I am the one who gains; I find who I am truly meant to be.