Video by William O'Brien
Giuliano Radicchi: A Man of God
by Sylvia DuBeau
Although he is not a priest, Giuliano Radicchi has dedicated himself to God. During a
time when many Cagliese, Italians, and Christians have become increasingly absent from
the pews at Sunday morning’s Mass, Radicchi does more than attend church and profess
his love for God. He is an active member in the liturgical choir of the Basilica Cattedrale
and the fraternity “Orazione Buona Morte.” He also organizes various public celebrations
that include the Holy Sacraments, the Corpus Domini procession, and Christmas Eve
Mass.
Giuliano walks in the procession. Photos by Nicole Frail
Upon first glance there is nothing outwardly amazing about Radicchi. Few know how he put himself in harm’s way bypassing checkpoints in order to provide aid to the Croatians during the Serbo-Croatian War. Nor would many know how he spent four years caring for his dying parents who would pass away within a few years of each other.
Despite these and many other hardships he has faced, he insists that it was his faith in God that gave him the strength to overcome the most turbulent of times.
The foundation of his faith began with the emphasis his parents placed on involvement in the church. Radicchi is thankful that his family stressed the importance of attending
Mass beyond his childhood years. Most young Cagli families attend church, but as
children grow older, most families stop going.
Radicchi explains, “In Cagli, as in Italy, families still baptize their children, and it is important that they receive their first communion. After that only 20% of people continue to practice their Catholic faith by attending Mass regularly.”
Church attendance dwindles
The first decline in church attendance that Radicchi saw was among the friends he had
grown up and worshipped with. The dramatic decline in followers began in the 1970s,
during the Vietnam War. Following the crisis, there was a lot of discussion among his
friends regarding political and moral positions that directly contradicted the church. As a result of the unresolved differences, many of his friends eventually left the church.
A declining interest in faith has left church pews empty.
This proved to be a difficult time for Radicchi. His beliefs never opposed the church. As a result, he struggled to understand how something that had been such a fundamental part of their lives could be so easily disregarded, especially because Mass and church
involvement continued to play an important role in his life. Today, only about 30 percent of his friends still attend Mass and are involved with the church.
The dwindling number of followers has proven to be a dilemma for many Christian churches both within Italy and beyond. The reasons vary from lack of interest or time to
conflicting morals and values. Although some argue that one is not required to attend Mass in order to be a good Christian, that rather living the life of a good Christian is
paramount, Radicchi sees an intrinsic value in gathering together as a community that
cannot be replaced. When discussing those who choose to live a good Christian life
without attending Mass, he warns that it is problematic because there has to be a sense of
community and not attending Mass isolates individuals from others. He adds, “A lot of
people attend different faiths, which is good enough, but attending church and professing
their faith to God helps unify a community.”
The procession returns to the Basilica Cattedrale.
Although the decrease in church attendance is alarming, those who remain are active in the parish and strong in their faith. Father Nazareno Bartolucci of Radicchi’s church, the Basilica Cattedrale, says that there is less quantity but more quality in its members.
Strength and zeal in troubling times
Radicchi continues to devote himself to his hometown of Cagli, making a 60 km trip every day to work in Pesaro. Even though the recession has dramatically decreased his income, he has chosen to eliminate his vacation time and cut back on dinner with friends
rather than reduce his ability to help others.
According to those who have known Radicchi since birth, his passion for being a good Christian and his altruistic spirit have radiated from within him since childhood. His
devotion has brought both challenges and awards. One of the most challenging, rewarding, and enduring memories is from May 1994.
After collecting as much as they could, he and others drove through war zones and crossed Bosnian and Croatian checkpoints in order to bring aid to the Croatians. About 20 students from Croatia came back to Cagli with the parish workers. The 20 young people were hosted by Italian families. He hosted two brothers, and they became friends, both speaking English in order to communicate with one another. When the two brothers
returned to Croatia, he called weekly to ensure they were okay.
Radicchi promised to visit after the war was over. On August 5, 1995, five days after
peace was declared, he was in Croatia to see his friends. He witnessed the devastation
the war had brought to his friends country. He remembers, “Everything was destroyed.
It was like the movie The Day After.” The three are still close friends today, and both
brothers now speak perfect Italian. One of the brothers married two years ago, and the
other was married this month. Radicchi was the best man at both weddings, and the two
brothers still visit him in Cagli.
Radicchi says that God gave him the strength to overcome the challenge of taking aid to
Croatia. He insists that the difficult times he has had to face have only motivated him to
give back to his community even more. Whether it is for the reward of the lifelong
friendships, the desire to live a Christian life, or his genuine love for his fellow man, the
impact he has had on the community is undeniably powerful.
The Basilica Cattedrale fills up for Corpus Domini.
Hopefully devoted
Radicchi is regarded as a respectable and genuine man who serves his community with enthusiasm and zeal. Regardless of his beloved relationship with God, he does not aim to convince others. Instead of sharing meaningless rhetoric to a deaf, disinterested audience, he quietly lives his life carrying out Christian principles through community participation and maintaining solid values in his daily living.
The vice mayor Alberto Mazzacchera put it best when he said, “The only complaint I have about Guiliano is that we need more people like him.” As church and religion lose
their popularity, let us hope that this does not result in the loss of men like Radicchi.
Web production by Mike Movido
