Normally it is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a deacon to be asked to participate in an official capacity at a papal Mass. However, Matteo Antollini, a member of the Italian Province, has received the opportunity on a number of occasions. His latest was to proclaim the Gospel at the Vigil Mass in St. Peters and to proclaim the Gospel to the congregation and then the Easter message to Pope Francis.

His service started with the canonization of Titus Brandsma on May 15, 2022. The Vatican liturgists were looking for a deacon who could sing the Gospel. After auditioning with the director of the Sistine Choir, Matteo was selected to be the deacon of the Word.

Antollini was contacted a second time for the funeral of Cardinal Jozef Tomko, a member of the Rome Curia from 1962-2007, who died in early August 2022. Then he was tapped again to deacon, including the sung proclamation of the Gospel, at the mass for Pope Francis’ eighth Consistory and its 20 new cardinals. This took place at the end of August.

On Ash Wednesday, Antollini was again asked to sing the Gospel and read the Prayers of the Faithful at St. Sabina's. During the papal Mass on Palm Sunday, he sang the Gospel standing by the obelisk in St. Peter’s Square.

“The great excitement was on the night of Holy Saturday when I made the Easter proclamation to the Holy Father—singing the first Alleluia after 40 days of the Lenten desert experience,” said Matteo. Those watching on television noted that he never looked down at the text but kept his eyes on the Holy Father the whole time.

Antollini is from Malnate in the Varese region of Italy. He is currently a student at the Biblicum in Rome and resides at Centro Internazionale Sant’Alberto. He will be ordained to the priesthood on June 24 at Santa Maria in Traspontina in Rome.