To tell the story of Don Roberto Fiscer we could start from when, during an evening at the disco as a “starred” DJ, he felt the nostalgia of the kids of the parish. Or since, on the last evening of World Youth Day in 2000 in Rome, he fell asleep on the lawn and woke up feeling different. Or when, as soon as he was appointed parish priest of Arenzano, on the outskirts of Genoa, he went to celebrate Mass at the seaside: «Wasn’t the Church born on the beach?». Or, but this would be the most obvious choice, we could talk about the videos that have thousands of views on Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook and gather followers as numerous as fish in the sea: 692 thousand on Tik Tok, 197 thousand on Instagram and 25 thousand on Facebook. For all don Roberto Fiscer, 49 years old, Genoese born in the Staglieno district, is the “most loved priest” on social mediaas the book’s dust jacket states Spirited life (written exactly like that), which he recently published with Piemme. It is better, however, to meet him in person to try to understand what is hidden behind those witty, sometimes slightly irreverent videos that talk to young people about faith and being the Church.
AN UNEXPECTED CALL
His was a brilliant vocation. He tells it to us in the parish that was entrusted to him: that of the Santissima Annunziata del Chiappeto, in the Genoese district of Borgoratti. Until the age of 24, very few things in Roberto’s life gave any indication of what he would become, apart from a few camps with the boys and an experience as an altar boy. «I had lost my mother, I had just returned from a difficult adolescence, with a complicated approach to work»tells. A diploma from the Nautical Institute of Camogli, several odd jobs, a camping holiday in Sardinia in which he revealed his talent as a DJ in a disco. Then the experience as an entertainer on ships, then work in a telephone shop. Very different activities, but if you look closely you can already see the thread of destiny: communication. Before the fateful WYD there will be entertainment in the parish, then the meeting with the Benedictine nuns of Providence who welcomed children with family problems into their home: “I started volunteering with them”, says the priest, “and I became enthusiastic about it”. Immediately afterwards, here is the opportunity to participate in Youth Day: «I went there with the idea of finding a partner”, he says, “instead, I was disconcerted. I felt someone was calling me.”. In Rome Fiscer feels “a very strong bond with prayer, with catechesis, with the unity and effort of all those people”. The return to Genoa is tinged with profound reflections: «I was looking for information on the seminar», he says. «I knew where he was, because a friend from the parish had just become a priest: I realized that I had the same symptoms as him. I entered it with the feeling of having found the right path.” From there a new life began. Today Don Roberto seems to belong to a transversal family of the Church, that of the great communicators. He quotes Saint Francis of Assisi – «Don Andrea Gallo called me “God’s jester”» – but also Saint Philip Neri, New Horizons by Chiara Amirante, the Focolarini servants of God Carlo Grisolia and Alberto Michelotti. There is no shortage of Piergiorgio Frassati and his motto: «To live, but not to get by».
NEW LANGUAGES
One wonders how he is perceived in the parish this priest with the rapper hatwho tells in videos how to receive Communion and also leads “Radio fra le note”, a web broadcaster with a real schedule and which broadcasts twice a week from the Gaslini pediatric hospital in Genoa. «The faithful understand me», he confides, «they know that what appears on social media is the visible pinnacle of attention to others». And in curial environments? «I have always perceived a holy patience towards me from my superiors. I think they also understand what’s behind my business». However, there are also detractors and they are not few: «Many do not understand the value of a social network. The video can reach a distant person who would never otherwise encounter the Church. Today we are always in a hurry, we have a superficial approach to things: but social media can enter that abyss of superficiality that usually prevents us from connecting to the world.” Ultimately, Don Fiscer fights superficiality using his own weapons. «It’s true», he nods, «it’s a game to be played with a Trojan horse, filled with contents». For readers, here are some tips: «First advice: show the beauty of the Church, of being together. Second: don’t focus the communication on yourself. Third: study the trends of the most current topics before posting. Fourth: involve the community in social activity. Fifth: don’t be afraid to use simple language.” Ultimately, it sounds like fun.
