Padre Javier Olivera Ravasi, SE
The Shrine has invited Padre Javier Olivera Ravasi, SE, to accept the part-time position of Hispanic Pilgrim Chaplain with the blessing and encouragement of Cardinal Burke.
Order of Saint Elijah
Padre Ravasi is the Vicar General of the Order of Saint Elijah, a society of apostolic life of diocesan right of the Archdiocese of Portoviejo in Ecuador. This mission of the Order of Saint Elijah is to preach the Catholic Faith with the obligation to speak the truth for the common good, even at personal risk, which is carried out in two ways: first, ad gentes, that is, to the nations of the world, especially to those who do not know Jesus Christ; and second, in the Catholic cultural counterrevolution (a predicación de la Fe católica con la más ardiente parresía en dos ámbitos concretos: en el de las misiones ad gentes y en el de la contrarrevolución cultural católica).
Double Doctorate
Padre Ravasi has a Doctorate in Philosophy and a second Doctorate in History with a special focus on the Cristero Wars, in which Blessed Miguel Pro, SJ, and Saint José Sánchez del Río were martyred, both of whose relics are at the Shrine. One relic of Blessed Miguel Pro is in the main altar of the Shrine Church while another relic of the Jesuit priest resides at one of the Shrine’s six side altars. A relic of Saint José Sánchez del Río is venerated on his feast day, February 10, as well as on the second Saturday of each month when the Holy Mass offered for the Shrine’s Youth Guild, of which Saint José is the patron.
YouTube Channel
Padre Ravasi also has a very influential ministry on his YouTube channel, Que No Te La Cuenten (Don’t Just Take Our Word For It). With nearly half a million subscribers, Padre Ravasi extends the mission of the Order of Saint Elijah as, from this platform, he defends the Faith from the perspective of historical apologetics and against the cultural-revolution.
Previous Visit
Padre Ravasi has been to the Shrine on a previous visit. On October 4th through the 9th of last year, he met with Cardinal Burke and witnessed the groundbreaking of the Saint Juan Diego Pilgrim House. He also offered the Shrine’s Sunday Spanish Mass at 11:00 A.M., after which time he spent time speaking in Spanish with the Hispanic pilgrims.
Hispanic Pilgrim Chaplain
Now, in his new role as the Shrine’s Hispanic Pilgrim Chaplain, Padre Ravasi will be traveling to the Shrine once a month to record spiritually inspirational videos in Spanish that the Communications Department will use on the Shrine’s online platforms, such as the Shrine’s Spanish website, YouTube, and Instagram. He will also offer the Holy Mass in Spanish on Sundays at 11:00 A.M., which will be live-streamed to the Shrine’s Spanish social media and to Canela TV—a free, Spanish-language streaming service that offers a variety of content for the whole family.
Padre Ravasi on Shrine Event Calendar
Dates for his arrival each month are still being determined. When those dates have been chosen, however, they will be posted in the Shrine’s Event Calendar.
Oremos (Let us pray)
Let us pray for Padre Ravasi, for his religious community, the Order of Saint Elijah, and for his new ministry as the Shrine’s Hispanic Pilgrim Chaplain.
Shrine Spanish Social Media
This new Hispanic ministry also brings with it the development of two new social media channels for the Shrine, both in Spanish! Padre Ravasi’s videos will be featured on both YouTube and Instagram. Be sure to follow if you like spiritually inspiring videos and images in Spanish!
