The biggest fear in writing these lines is repeating what has already been said, retreading ground already covered. But as the saying goes, "repetition helps," and besides, this may serve someone encountering Fede e Luce for the first time, who hasn't yet had the chance to explore these ideas deeply.
So, apologies to those already familiar with the movement—let's get to the point. Does animation matter in our groups? The answer is yes. Let's see why.
If you look up the verb "to animate" in any dictionary, you'll find: "To give life, movement, warmth." Our communities need life and warmth constantly. For several reasons.
The young people and families who come to us, who attend our gatherings—they arrive carrying their daily burdens of sorrow. Some carry lighter loads, some heavier, but each one needs to find an environment scaled to human measure, something that helps them thaw the frozen shell wrapped around them.
Human-scaled, because what delights one person may not please another; because what makes one young person burst with joy might upset an adult.
This is where the animation team's first task begins: finding the right tone and pace for each moment of the gathering—whether it is festive or spiritual in nature.
We want everyone in the community to meet and express themselves with maximum freedom and naturalness. But we must avoid forcing the tone or manner in ways that could produce the opposite result.
In time, even the most withdrawn person may let themselves be drawn into a lively, joyful circle; but this must happen gradually. We must respect any lingering sense of isolation, or the wall of refusal, that may still exist in the hearts of many of our friends attending Fede e Luce for the first or second time.
So beyond calibrating the gathering in all its different aspects, the animation team should know how to tap the gifts of each person in the group.
The person with a gift for clowning—or at least for quick wit and gestures that draw people in—belongs at the center, in the middle of the circle of chairs.
The person who is a bit less outgoing but who is good at supporting others—that's where they belong, among the young people, helping songs succeed, dances, team games. They are essential for keeping the energy of the gathering alive.
And for those—no less precious—who struggle every moment with their own shyness or natural reserve, there is always urgent work to be done: making sure the gathering is alive at the edges of that circle too. Drawing near the hesitant and fearful, striking up conversation, gently drawing them in, perhaps with the help of a piece of cake or a glass of juice. Most of all, starting from the conviction that their shyness makes them even more a brother or sister to that young person who is "afraid" of being pulled into a group of people who might seem a bit wild to them.
Patient, affectionate dialogue—or quiet listening to the smaller ones—becomes real animation of immense worth.
When we said at the start that our groups need constant vitality and warmth, we meant it not only for the young people and their families, but for us as well.
If we underestimate what proper animation contributes, our gatherings can become frightening voids. This is why the work cannot fall on one or two people alone, but on a united and responsible team, where each person knows that if singing a song or playing the fool is not showing off but service, then it is also service to push ourselves, to overcome our own hang-ups or our own inertia.
So then—shall we roll up our sleeves?
Tony Casazza (Milan), 1981