On Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, the community of Alejandría (Antioquia) gathered at San Pedro Alejandrino Parish in Colombia to bid farewell to Father Rafael Ángel Ciro, priest of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. The church was filled with family, friends, parishioners, and townspeople who came to offer him their final goodbye.
The Eucharist was presided over by Monsignor Juan Manuel Toro Vallejo, Bishop of the Diocese of Girardota, and concelebrated by 14 priests, including six from the Diocese of Paterson. Father Duberney Villamizar, episcopal vicar for Hispanic Affairs, led the delegation and personally accompanied Father Ciro’s body to his native Colombia. He was joined by Father Manuel Cuéllar, Father Rolands Uribe, Father Javier Barreño, Father Luis Hernández, and Father Diego Monsalve, Colombian priests serving in the Diocese of Paterson. Their presence was a clear sign of the fraternity and love that Father Ciro had sown throughout his ministry.
In his homily, Bishop Toro Vallejo invited those present to view Father Ciro’s passing through the eyes of faith, not only through sorrow. He stressed that the funeral was not merely a social event or a moment of condolence, but a proclamation of faith in the resurrection and in God’s mercy.
“This is a beautiful testimony of unity in the Church and of love. Your presence here speaks of the goodness he shared. I came to proclaim that God is alive and loves Rafael deeply; to celebrate His mercy, and to fill our hearts with peace and hope,” he said.
With a voice both firm and compassionate, he also reminded everyone that the Lord knows our human fragility and still loves us: “As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for His faithful and for Father Rafael Ciro. He knows what we are made of, He remembers that we are dust, but His mercy endures forever.”
During the Mass, a letter from Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Diocese of Paterson was read, addressed to Doña Elena, Father Ciro’s mother. In it, Bishop Sweeney assured her that her son’s love will never die and that the whole Church stands with her in prayer and closeness. He thanked the Ciro-Guarín family for offering a son to the priesthood and remembered Father Ciro as a joyful and faithful pastor who served his people with dedication and love.
The funeral was a true testimony of faith, hope, and unity. The presence of so many Colombian priests and the delegation from Paterson showed that priestly life is a fraternity that transcends borders. It was a gesture of love that spoke for itself of the affection Father Ciro inspired throughout his years of ministry.
His farewell coincided with the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Under her protection, the community entrusted Father Ciro to the Lord, with the certainty that his memory will live on, both in his hometown and in the Diocese of Paterson, where he will be remembered as a good and caring priest who now rests in the peace of God.
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[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Diocesan delegation attends Father Rafael Ciro’s funeral in Colombia