Latin Countries Meeting, June 30 – July 4, 1980
Seventy of us gathered—delegates from the Latin zone countries coordinated by Mariangela Bertolini (Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, and France; Portugal was unable to send representation) and invited guests from England, Canada, Brazil, Egypt, Lebanon, and Denmark, thanks to the presence of Fr. Hvild, international chaplain of Faith and Light.
When asked "Why are we here?", one small group offered this answer: "We need support. We need to discover other countries. We enrich one another; we feel less alone. It's beautiful to live differently, to share what we have in common, to share our joys. The hope of the international community opens us up—but without falling into the opposite extreme of neglecting the people who live in our own neighborhoods and cities."
What struck us most was this: for the first time, our handicapped brothers and sisters took part in an international gathering of leaders. This fact—less obvious perhaps in a written report—left a deep impression on all who were there at Grenoble, and we wanted to highlight it for those who couldn't attend.
(Text adapted from the report prepared by the International secretariat).
Note—Anyone wishing to receive the complete report of this meeting may request it from the National Secretariat of Faith and Light, via Cola di Rienzo 140, Rome. The same applies for anyone interested in the texts of presentations given during the meeting.
National Meeting, November 1–2, 1980
This will take place at the Nazareth Institute, via Cola di Rienzo 140, Rome. We invite two or three representatives from each Faith and Light Community in Italy: Cuneo (2 communities); Milan (4); Parma (3); Fidenza (1); Forlì (1); Abano (1); Rome (7).
On Saturday, we will work together to shape the life program of Faith and Light for 1981, listen to proposals and projects from the various groups.
Sunday, November 2, will be devoted to spiritual preparation and logistical planning for the pilgrimage to Lourdes.
We ask all friends to support this meeting with their prayers.