WE THE PEOPLE: Organist’s journey to U.S. citizenship

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The hands that fill the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist with sound belong to a man who found his path to U.S. citizenship one note at a time.

For the past 20 years, Sebastian Modarelli has led music at St. John, a journey that began with a chance encounter thousands of miles away in Milan, Italy.

“Music, I always say, especially sacred music, is that thing that no evil is able to take away from us,” Modarelli said. “I think that it is a privilege for me to be able to work doing that.”

Monsignor Jerry Mahon, a familiar face in Rochester, was the one who put Rochester on the map for Modarelli. Mahon was attending a fellow priest’s funeral in Italy.

“I went to a dinner, and I was going around asking all these people, what do they do?” Mahon recalled. “One’s an economist, and somebody else an engineer, and they’re all Italians and he said, ‘I’m an organist, and I just finished composition degrees here in Milano.’ And I said, ‘I’m looking for one,’ and his first response was ‘I’m not interested.’”

Modarelli admitted his initial reluctance. “Should I say the truth? No, he’s right. I mean, I was, at the beginning, it’s not that I wasn’t interested. I didn’t want to admit that I was interested.”

Ultimately, Modarelli trusted his faith. A few months later, he uprooted his life, trading Europe for the Med City.

“I like the size of the town,” Modarelli said. “I love the people.”

In Rochester, Modarelli has dedicated himself to assisting with worship, playing organ, organizing performances, and composing works of his own.

He went from obtaining a visa to a green card, and then, after careful reflection, to citizenship.

“I just knew that was a big responsibility,” Modarelli said.

He became a U.S. citizen in March 2015.

“The U.S. has always been a place where life has a positive meaning. We can do this,” he said.

Modarelli often connects with other visitors and immigrants who come through Mayo Clinic.

“I always say, you know, we have an Argentinian up there on the organ. There’s another way to welcome you,” Mahon said. “I just have so much experience of people being welcomed, making a significant contribution to our nation, highly-qualified people.”

Modarelli acknowledges that the term “immigrant” means different things to different people and that technical considerations are important. But like a piece of music, there are many elements to consider — many notes, many harmonies.

“When you look at the loved one, whoever that is, your child, your spouse, your parent, you can see that when you love someone, you realize that the one you are loving is the one who is making that person, the mystery of God,” Modarelli said. “When you fall in love with that mystery, then you recognize that mystery in everyone.”

When he’s not working, Modarelli enjoys spending time with friends and writing music when he has the time.

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