Today, we have happily come together to celebrate and honor Father DiOrio for the ways in which he has enriched our lives and made them better for simply knowing him. A truly unique person, we all recognize him by his infectious grin, delightful sense of humor, reverberating laugh, and magnetic, bombastic personality. Many refer to him as a holy man of extraordinary faith, a people’s priest, and a channel of God’s healing power. As of June 1st of this year, he has been a priest for 53 years. Those of us who have attended his services understand that it is his spiritual and academic training, along with his mature understanding of so many aspects of life, that have made him an excellent preacher, teacher, mentor, role model, and evangelist. Father DiOrio has always made himself reachable and available to all people, just like Jesus. He has been there for us and our loved ones from the womb to the tomb, and has helped us get through the storms of life knowing faith, hope, and love always work.
As founder and director of the Apostolate of Divine Mercy and Healing, Father DiOrio is a highly principled and conscientious priest who feels the pain of the people he serves. He sees a living Christ in everyone he meets, and has a special place of understanding in his heart for the sick, the broken and the needy. At his services, and in his everyday life, we have seen how much love, care and concern he shows others, always doing so with a pure heart, and never expecting anything in return. His generosity and kindness are beyond measure when it comes to helping anyone. Father is often quoted as saying “Love is sacrifice.” Being a compassionate, friendly, holy man who is very approachable, people from all walks of life desire to be in his presence because of the way he makes them feel about themselves and their relationship to God.
Father DiOrio is a respecter of all people, and knows how fragile life is and how difficult life can be, never forgetting his own humble beginnings. He works on the assumption that people are basically good, and that there are no hopeless cases. Being a fixer by nature, he sees the hidden potential in people, and truly believes all people have something great to offer one another. It is often his expectation of others that motivates them to have higher expectations for themselves.
Father DiOrio remains committed and is passionate about his mission of soulwinning. As God’s messenger, he brings people to know, love and accept the Person of Jesus Christ. He does this through meditations, encouragement, reflections, and prayers. At his services at St. Anne’s Shrine in Sturbridge, Massachusetts and throughout the United States and abroad, people’s minds and hearts are opened to receive God’s healing in spirit, soul and body. Since the theology of evangelization and healing consists of nothing more than an event that creates faith, it is truly refreshing to see the holistic transformation and restoration among individuals who have discovered that their faith in God is real.
Father DiOrio has had amazing life experiences. For over four decades, Father DiOrio’s soulwinning endeavors have taken him all over North America, Mexico, most of Europe, India and the West Indies. Some of the highlights of his travels include an open-air service in Alleppey, India where 250,000 people attended, Madison Square Garden where 20,000 people participated, and a visit to the leper colony in Molokai, Hawaii. Many authentic divine healings were reported there, and testimonies of healing from people and doctors continue to be documented to date.
Father DiOrio, a hard worker, has always been enthusiastic and motivated to do something for others. Throughout his lifetime, Father DiOrio’s Children’s Fund, which comes from personal gifts and investments, has been instrumental in helping to build a hospital, now a hospice center, in Alleppey, India, and has also assisted in building a children’s clinic, school addition, and a chapel for the Benedictine Sisters in St. Lucia, West Indies. Just these accomplishments alone should be enough proof for all of us that one person can make a difference in the lives of others. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Father DiOrio, a man of tireless energy, has published eight books, has had his own radio program for years, and continues to add to his extensive audio ministry. He has been on secular and Christian television programs, including ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ and ‘That’s Incredible.’ He has also been featured in many newspapers and magazines, including People, Time, and Yankee Magazine. In addition, he has been the recipient of numerous secular and humanitarian awards.
In closing, Father Ralph, today we come together to share in the joy of your lifetime of accomplishments and to express to you that we truly love you, appreciate and thank you for being you. Your holiness and the goodness you show to others are wonderful examples for all of us to follow. Scholastica once asked her brother, St. Benedict, how she could become a saint. His answer: “To be a saint, just be yourself.” This is the best advice in the world I can offer you.
On behalf of all your hard work and dedication to God’s people, you deserve this day!