Fr. Adrian Santarelli was ordained in 1982 and served as Diocesan Priest in several parishes in greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. He had an early calling for missionary work and was coordinator of missionaries in Argentina for a number of years, later opened and led a new missionary center in Cuba for 10 years, during which time he earned a Degree in Missiology from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome.

He then returned to Argentina and in addition to his duties as a parish priest in Buenos Aires, he worked with the Argentine National Pontifical Missions Society. During this period, he established Comunidad Belen, an association of faithful laymen and laywomen with an ecumenical, missionary spirit committed to spiritual development, Peace and understanding among all religions (http://www.comunidadbelen.org ). In the USA, he supported the establishment of Hearts for Peace to broaden the reach of his mission.

Today, Fr. Adrian serves a large community of loyal parishioners in Santo Tomas Moro, a church just outside the city of Buenos Aires. The many activities organized by the parish, its working groups, retreats and pilgrimages, attract a large number of followers of all ages and are a testament to Father Adrian’s tireless energy and dedication.

Every Friday after mass, Fr. Santarelli gives a ceremony for healing with the imposition of hands, a central vocation throughout his life. It is in this context that Fr. Adrian received a special, enlightened calling to work for an alliance for peace with members of different faiths and cultures. For this mission, he received the blessing of His Holiness Pope Francis.