At midnight on 26 August 2019 at the age of 62, after 40 years of religious life and 32 years of priesthood life; Fr. Ivo Rodolfo Ramírez Ovando was visited by Sister Death, after a year of fighting cancer.
On 17 December 1957 he was born of a humble and large family in the city of San Estanislao. He was the fifth son of Don Quirino Ramírez (+) and Doña Juana Clotilde Ovando. Other children were Robert Estanislao (+), Rubén Darío (Also Friar Priest of the Order), Gloria Teresita, Jorge Derlis, Ivo Rodolfo (+), Mírnida María Lourdes (+), José Hernán, Andrés Alberto, Blas Elder and Álida Rosa.
Between 1964 and 1970, he completed his school studies in his hometown school, Escuela Carlos Antonio López School. His secondary studies were made at Liceo San Estanislao and Colegio Nacional Juan E. O’Leary, both of the city of San Estanislao. After entering the seminary with the Franciscans TOR at the Colegio Ykua satí de Asunción in 1977, he completed his studies.
In 1978, he entered the novitiate, professing his temporary vows on 2 January 1979. In that same year, he began philosophical and theological studies at the Higher Institute of Theology at the Catholic University Our Lady of the Assumption in the capital of the country, completing them in 1985.
He professed his solemn vows in the Order on 18 February 1984. At the hands of Mons. Demetrio Aquino, he was ordained a priest on 17 December 1986. The year after his ordination, he assumed the service of being a formator in the San Serafín fraternity until 1991. He studied in Rome and Germany, completing a bachelorate of Sacred Scripture and on his return to Paraguay he again served as a formator at the San Serafín fraternity and a professor at the Higher Institute of Theology for 10 years. This was followed by a pastoral experience for 6 months in the city of Forth Worth in the USA.
He was provincial secretary in the period 1998-2003 and advisor in the period from 2003 to 2008.
As of 2008, he became Pastor of the Our Lady of the Assumption parish the city of Hernandarias until 2011. He was then transferred to the San Estanislao parish where he served until the day of his death.
Fr. Ivo Rodolfo Ramírez had an important role in the mission of the first missionaries who arrived in Paraguay in the city of San Estanislao in 1951. He was a member of the first youth group together with Sergio Pereira (Friar and priest) and others, accompanying them in the communities and founding most of the chapels belonging to the San Estanislao parish. He was among the first Franciscan TOR vocations of Paraguay.
He was recognized for his great apostolic zeal; seen both in his passion for the teaching of Holy Scripture that led him to found Bible schools and in his great historical memory that led to two works on the history of our Vice Province San Antonio de Padua. He assisted indigenous communities in evangelizing, preserving and promoting their native culture.
The funeral mass was offered in the San Estanislao parish, presided by Monsignor Pedro Jubinville, bishop of the diocese of San Pedro Apóstol and concelebrated by the provincial minister Fr. Miguel Ángel Cáceres TOR, friars and priests of the diocese. Countless faithful of the local parish community and Paraguay also participated