Spirituality

Spirituality

The Courage to Change

Faith and Light's Gifts and Limitations

Spirituality

Parties I Want (and Parties I Don't)

Candles, music, cake—and then an unwelcome surprise.

Spirituality

Is There a Third Way?

People with Disabilities: God-Incidences in My Life as a Man and Priest

Spirituality

Lucio, Who's Never in a Hurry (and Why Stools Matter)

Benedetta meets singer Lucio Corsi on a summer evening and they stay to talk. Don't you want to know what about?

Spirituality

I'll Give You Disney

Giovanni's vacation at La Bicoca with friends from Fede e Luce

Spirituality

Summer Camp Diary

Four days at Tricase with the Monopoli community

Spirituality

Questions from a Champion

On sports and friends who get married. (Why?)

Spirituality

Working at the Restaurant Is Always Fun

From washing glasses to making friends: the joy of learning, helping, and sharing laughs at work and by the sea.

Testimonial · Spirituality

Two Ways of Pilgrimage, One Heart of Faith

A personal reflection on how Unitalsi and Faith and Light, born in Lourdes from stories of rejection, became paths of love and spiritual transformation

Spirituality

Inclusive Catechesis: When Faith Becomes Tactile

From a teacher’s call to build a tactile book, a shared map of tools and resources for truly inclusive catechesis: sensory materials, tutorials, and initiatives from Italy and beyond.

Spirituality

22 Fun Mini Games to Play Together

Second list of 22 group games, complete with rules and instructions. These games are designed for everyone—and field-tested for guaranteed fun. Enjoy!

Spirituality

Better to Dance Than Rage

Reflections and a few mysteries about weddings

Spirituality

With Us

Twelve Years of Franciscus

Spirituality

"God Loves Us All, Unconditionally!"

Pope Leo XIV's inaugural address to the world

Spirituality

The Stories We Tell

A centuries-old tradition in a small Belgian town offers a powerful example of how care, community, and storytelling can reduce stigma and inspire a more compassionate society.

Spirituality

Thank You, Pope Francis, for Your Love

Our memories of Pope Francis in the pages of Ombre e Luci

Spirituality

My Cousin Claudio, and the Scent of Lavender

A remembrance of Claudio, a distant cousin who passed away last January

Spirituality

The Bride and I Both Wore White

I was a bridesmaid at Lorenza's wedding

Spirituality

What About Vacation?

When will vacation finally come?

Spirituality

Twenty Years of Befana

A cherished January tradition at Luciana Spigolon's home

Spirituality

I Decide to Chew on the Upper Left

Bendetta and the Toothache

Spirituality

Answering Your Questions

Some replies to what you've been asking me lately

Spirituality

I'm Not Used to Packing My Bag

Spirituality

Aunt Giuliana, Grandmother's Walker, and My Questions

Benedetta faces a profound loss

Spirituality

Unbind Him

Maurizio Sciarra's Documentary on Franco Basaglia

Spirituality

A Transformation from Below

How Trieste Responded

Spirituality

Marco Cavallo's Journey Around the World

The story and meaning of a blue wooden horse

Spirituality

Dead Battery

Sometimes you feel exhausted, worn out—the daily grind absorbs everything, leaving nothing for rest.

Spirituality

The Country House

Efrem remembers the countryside home where he spent his childhood and returned to this summer

Spirituality

I Wait for Dawn—Not for Scouts at Noon Mass

I love singing in the parish choir at mass. I love singing together with the others.

Spirituality

A Good Worker

From Giovanni Grossi's Diary

Spirituality

Baglioni and the Kangaroo

Benedetta on a concert and her work at Merè

Spirituality

Life Is Truly Beautiful. And Here's Why

I'm really happy with my life because it's beautiful, fun — full of things that are always new and always familiar to do.

Spirituality

The Poetry of the Stars

The Poems of Claudio Moriggia

Spirituality

How My Swimming Competition Went

Another year, another outstanding result!

Spirituality

Dreaming of the Paralympics

Antonietta Pantone reflects on sport's power for people with disabilities—and traces the origins of the Paralympic Games

Spirituality

Modesta Valenti

The woman forgotten by the streets

Spirituality

How to Request a Wheelchair

Antonietta Pantone explains the process for getting a wheelchair

Spirituality

Davide at Virginia Raffaele's Samusà

A review of the theatrical performance at Rome's Teatro Brancaccio

Spirituality

Rediscovering the Domestic Church

Reflecting on Foot-Washing and Holy Week

Spirituality

I Love Working as a Waitress

Benedetta shares her experience at Merè restaurant

Spirituality

Fifty Years Together

Efrem invites us into his home once more to meet his family on their golden anniversary

Spirituality

So Many New Things

I'm doing so many new things!

Spirituality

My Second Mime at St. Peter's

Giovanni Grossi's account of preparing for a mime performance on the steps of St. Peter's Square

Spirituality

The Story of John Paul II's Relic

A Daughter of Charity shares her testimony

Spirituality

Dear Aunt Cosima

Efrem's diary opens today onto pages from his past that he holds dear—all because of an old cardboard box.

Spirituality

Sant'Egidio's Christmas Lunch

A day full of emotion

Spirituality

When Does Christmas Come?

A year-end reflection by Giovanni Grossi

Spirituality

Amen

Every year, I go to Pope Francis's birthday party

Spirituality

My First Dive

I started training again with a bang!!!

Spirituality

Me, Myself

From the hotel front desk to her new job at the café—Benedetta's busy life in Rome

Spirituality

Off to Congo!

Andrea Posa describes his journey to Africa, where his sister Lela works

Spirituality

I'm No Longer Welcome at My Parish

Everything changed when the new priest arrived

Testimonial · Spirituality

Why Shouldn't Gabriele Have a Place?

How a boy with Down syndrome became the lead altar server at two parishes in Trento

Spirituality

At Baglioni's Concert, Which Doesn't Feature Tozzi

Spirituality

What a Joy to Take the Train!

My journey from Potenza to Rome

Spirituality

"A Dog's Purpose" Took Me Back in Time

The story of little Bailey touched my heart

Spirituality

My Period and the Vending Machine at School

I've already said I want to write about these two things

Spirituality

How I Understand Football

The roles and rules of a sport I love

Spirituality

I met the “Scooppiati – diversamente band”… and interviewed them

Exploring the power of music and passion: a journey through inclusivity, originality, and the desire to share powerful stories

Interview · Spirituality

Fragile Girls

Alicia Lopez Araújo tells the story of Cape Verdean migration to Rome

Spirituality

My Experience with Rome's Social Taxi Service

For the first time, I felt free as a butterfly—but the service still has a long way to go

Spirituality

Mr Rain and LDA Are One

Concerts Are Really Beautiful

Spirituality

My Princess Gilda

The bond between me and my four-legged friend

Spirituality

What a Degree Is

Spirituality

School, Tattoos, and Time That Matters

As finals approach, I'm taking stock of what's ahead

Spirituality

My Dog Chose Me

My teenage years were shaped by a sweet dog named Leo. Here's our story.

Spirituality

I Shoot Penalties Too

Benedetta at the football pitch and the volleyball court

Spirituality

E.T. at the Bicoca

A beautiful vacation, lived together

Spirituality

Proud of Myself

Working beats school—at least for me

Testimonial · Spirituality

Alberta and the Revolution

When Wheelchair Barbie Comes Off the Shelf

Spirituality

Work, Concerts, Research, and Friends!

I'm doing so many wonderful things I love and that make me happy.

Spirituality

The Professor Wants Me in Class

Now that summer's over, I have so much to do

Spirituality

I Hate This

Beach days, music, and bad news

Spirituality

"My specialty? I'm a catechist!"

Spirituality

When Death Comes: The Church's Obligation to Include the Disabled

Spirituality

94, 9, 35, 18: What the Numbers Mean

Spirituality

The Most Beautiful Thing

Spirituality

Go Roma!

Spirituality

Not a Chance

Spirituality

Gold Lying on the Ground

Testimonial · Spirituality

Mirtilla and the Captain

Spirituality

Goals and Bread Shared

Spirituality

The Name Tag Says "Benedetta M."

Testimonial · Spirituality

Transforming Lives: A Journey of Hope and Healing in the Heart of the Congo

Emanuela Posa's Interview on Dedication to Children with Disabilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo – From Overcoming Taboos to Building Dreams

Spirituality

Birthday Parties, Best Friends (and a Dad Who Lost It)

Interview · Spirituality

"I Am the Church"

Spirituality

Birthdays and Green Passes

Spirituality

I Sang Every Single One

Spirituality

School Has Started—But I'm Still Not Sure What's Happening

Spirituality

Why the Beach Isn't the Same Anymore

Every year things are different, and honestly, I don't like it

Spirituality

My Friend Gimbo Won the Olympics

Spirituality

From that Closet

The experience of Giovanni Iannò, educator and dog trainer, founder of the ComuniCane school.

Spirituality

Back to the Sea

Spirituality

Year-End Pizza

Spirituality

A Photograph from Hong Kong

Spirituality

Let Me Show You Rome

Spirituality

What My Teachers Actually Said About Me

Spirituality

Gianciotto Malatesta and the Story That Doesn't Add Up

Spirituality

My Résumé

Spirituality

I'm on Strike—and I'm Not Alone

Testimonial · Spirituality

A Mission, to the End

Spirituality

Sometimes You Have to Swear to Be Heard

Spirituality

Niccolò Among Those Who Made History

Spirituality

I Decided. Me, Myself

Spirituality

School's Off to a Great Start

Spirituality

My Friend Sister Marie-Théo-of-God

Spirituality

Nature and Music

Spirituality

I Like It, But Only Sometimes

Spirituality

The Penalty Taker of Tyrrhenian Waters

Spirituality

From Dawn Till Well Past Midnight

Spirituality

In the Car with Dad and Umberto Tozzi

Spirituality

Report Card (and Mask)

Spirituality

Ugh

Spirituality

How Many Times Do I Have to Say It?

Spirituality

The Arrow on Viale Marconi

Spirituality

Lent with Don Marco (2020) - Podcast

Don Marco, international spiritual assistant for Fede e Luce, walks with us through Lent—creating moments of sharing and communion that break through the barriers of coronavirus. Together, even at a distance: #CloseFromAfar.

Spirituality

Giuseppe Conte Called Me

Spirituality

Through the Streets of Rome

Spirituality

On the Boat in St. Peter's Square

Editorial · Spirituality

Bells in Celebration

Spirituality

What More Could I Do?

Spirituality

Shops and Pants

Spirituality

It Has to End Right Now

Spirituality

This Year, I Finally Stayed Off the Snow

Spirituality

If I wait a little bit, the answer comes

Spirituality

Why Do We Ignore Jesus's Answer?

Spirituality

"Us," Not "Them": Opening the Debate

Spirituality

When Theology Itself Is Disabled

Spirituality

Me, Lorenza, and the Ham

Spirituality

Gossip

Spirituality

Indoor Games to Beat the Boredom

Try these ideas to stay entertained during days stuck at home

Spirituality

At the Pope's Birthday Party

Editorial · Spirituality

Happy New Year from Ombre e Luci!

Editorial · Spirituality

Christmas Around the World

Editorial · Spirituality

Pope Francis's Revolutionary Words

Spirituality

I Don't Like Cooking

But I'm Happy to Eat Whatever Everyone Else Makes

Spirituality

Pope Francis on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Spirituality

We All Need to Get Away Sometimes

Spirituality

I Have to Tie My Hair Back. That's the Rule

Spirituality

Poland's Sixth National Conference for Special Catechists

Spirituality

A Dedication That Needs Rewriting

Spirituality

Were You Thinking of Me?

Spirituality

I'm Not Losing Mine

Spirituality

One of Many

Spirituality

Does the Church Really Welcome Us?

Spirituality

Dancing. But Without Elia (For Now)

"Why I Decided to Go to the Nightclub"

Interview · Spirituality

Lucrezia and the Marco of Then and Now

An interview with Father Marco Bove, the bedrock of Faith and Light, national and then international spiritual assistant to the movement—a man who has made his own the spirit of a community built on friendship

Spirituality

Who Tends the Soul?

The spiritual assistants of Fede e Luce and the challenge of an inclusion that goes beyond the classroom and reaches the altar

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci Reader Survey

Spirituality

Brescia Rallies Behind Respite Programs for Disabled Families

Spirituality

He Wasn't Normal

Spirituality

Everyone Can Be a Saint

Spirituality

Catechesis for People with Disabilities: A Formative Program in Rome

Spirituality

Discards or Cornerstones?

Spirituality

Viola and Mimosa: Disappeared

Spirituality

Why Sign Language?

Spirituality

Signs of God's Love

Spirituality

Paths of Inclusion: We Care

We attended an illuminating seminar on inclusive catechesis, organized by the National Catechetical Office's department for catechesis of disabled persons, held in Assisi.

Spirituality

From Conference to Commitment

Spirituality

Caring Is Not the Same as Curing

Spirituality

World Autism Awareness Day: The World Turns Blue

Spirituality

Google Maps Now Shows Accessible Routes

Spirituality

The Christmas Story I Tell My Son

Spirituality

Paprika: A Cartoon That Goes Beyond Disability

Spirituality

A Lord's Honor

Spirituality

"Here I Am": Learning to Say Yes with Mary

Testimonial · Spirituality

The Church Bending Down to My Son

Isabelle is the mother of Adrien, 28, and shares a deeply moving moment she witnessed at Lourdes in 2007

Testimonial · Spirituality

Philippine's First Confession

Forgiveness is far more than confession—it is the joy of being loved by God

Spirituality

Signs That Work

Bishop Emeritus of Nanterre, Monsignor Gérard Daucourt serves as spiritual director to an L'Arche community. He advocates for sacramental access for people with severe disabilities and bears witness to their life of faith.

Spirituality

Viola and Mimosa No. 139

Spirituality

Humanitarian Corridors: A Lifeline for Refugees, Including Those with Disabilities

Anna Marchei of Sant'Egidio discusses a vital project: legal entry, support, and inclusion for war refugees, focusing on those with disabilities

Spirituality

Humanitarian Corridors

Spirituality

Dossier: Refugees

Spirituality

Why We Fear the Migrant—And What It Says About Us

Pierangelo Sequeri traces the deep, often unspoken reasons behind our resistance to migrants—and how they reveal something troubling about our society and our Church.

Editorial · Spirituality

Has Anything Really Changed?

What progress still remains urgent in support services, social inclusion, and the rights of handicapped people?

Editorial · Spirituality

The Challenge of Loving More

When the Jubilee for people with disabilities and the sick was announced last June, I found myself unsettled by the way disability and illness were grouped together...

Spirituality

Rediscovering What Unites All Hearts

Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill's encounter in Cuba was brief—but undeniably historic

Spirituality

Did You Know These Things?

Spirituality

Return to Assisi: A Pilgrimage Through Rome

Editorial · Spirituality

Five Acts

Spirituality

Bicoca's Got Talent

Spirituality

The Strength of Fragility

Spirituality

Running Toward Francis

The young musicians of the Sinamume Orchestra are special in every way: they live with disabilities of various kinds, they play music—often brilliantly—and they break the rules, almost always.

Editorial · Spirituality

One Heart at a Time

Testimonial · Spirituality

A Miracle of Meeting at Lourdes

Spirituality

My First Coffee with Mariangela

One of my most cherished memories of Mariangela goes back to my first camp: Alfedena, 1982

Spirituality

What Strength She Had!

Spirituality

A Witness to Miracles

Olga remembers her first meeting with Mariangela—in Poland in the early 1980s, and later in Moscow

Spirituality

"Can I Say Hello to My Mother?"

Spirituality

Lourdes: A Miracle of Encounter

When mothers of children with disabilities found each other—and hope—on a summer evening in Lourdes.

Spirituality

Laughter Begins in the Body

What children do beautifully. What those who have kept alive the playfulness of genuine living continue to do.

Spirituality

The Wheelchair and the Grapes

Suddenly, fifty meters from the altar, a young altar boy with Down syndrome drops the basket of grapes, and hundreds of them scatter across the floor.

Spirituality

You Can Only Laugh at What Makes You Human

Philippe Rousseaux, a clown and founder of the Association of Clowns for Faith, shares his reflections on laughter, faith, and the liberation that comes when we learn to laugh at ourselves.

Spirituality

On Her Path

Spirituality

I Wanted Someone to Answer My Questions

Spirituality

Christians at the Church Door

Spirituality

Flowers, Colors, and Fragrance: A Soap-Making Workshop

Spirituality

An Uncommon Leader for L'Arche

Jewish by faith, Stephan Posner has directed L'Arche in France for three years. As the communities mark fifty years since their founding in 1964, I meet a man of singular vision, moved by the universality of L'Arche's message.

Open Dialogue · Spirituality

Open Forum #126

Spirituality

Viola and Valeria

Viola dreams of becoming a writer one day, and that's why she watches with such curiosity Valeria, her mother's friend, whenever she comes over for tea

Spirituality

A Rainy Day Game

It's raining outside. Snack time is over and everyone wants to stay together. Here's a group game that's been a real hit in our workshop.

Spirituality

Six-Star Hotel

A compelling documentary-drama airing Monday nights on Rai Tre: six young adults with Down syndrome, ages 19 to 31, complete a paid internship at a luxury hotel in Rome

Editorial · Spirituality

Year After Year, Christmas Still Moves Us

Three reasons why this Christmas feels worth celebrating

Spirituality

Christmas Around the World

Its Light, its rituals, its traditions… from Russia, Japan, Ireland, Brazil, Benin, Mauritius, and Croatia

Spirituality

"Here I Am"—The Example of Mary

It is not an easy path. Often doubt and uncertainty overwhelm us, and we struggle to surrender completely to God's design for each of our lives.

Spirituality

Friendship Made Flesh

When I speak of Jesus's love for the sick—I who am a quadriplegic with a tracheotomy, confined to a wheelchair—I see different reactions in the eyes of those who listen.

Spirituality

Merry Christmas!

Spirituality

Merry Christmas from Japan

Christmas thrives in Japan, even though Christians are a tiny minority

Spirituality

Merry Christmas!

Spirituality

Happy New Year!

In Russia, Olga explains, Father Frost arrives on New Year's Eve, and Christmas comes on January 7 according to the Julian calendar

Spirituality

Joyeux Noël!

How Christmas became a national celebration in multicultural Mauritius—a firsthand account from Judex Violette

Spirituality

Happy Christmas!

In Croatia, the Christmas feast is prepared intensely during Advent through attendance at dawn masses known as "zornice"

Spirituality

Merry Christmas!

Testimonial · Spirituality

Starting Over

Every September brings a new school year, and every year it feels impossible. Here are a few suggestions to help you stay afloat.

Testimonial · Spirituality

My Life at Santa Palomba

Editorial · Spirituality

Enough Now!

We have asked ourselves many times why it was so hard to open our hearts to those who need to be welcomed most of all

Spirituality

Viola and Mimosa: A Story from Manila

Viola is happy. The heat hasn't yet arrived, but school is heading into its final stretch of the year—that relaxed time when vacation draws near.

Editorial · Spirituality

How He Stepped Down from the Throne

Benedict XVI resigned, and it is difficult indeed for us to interpret his decision, to understand it, to stand with him in it. Yet he left us an example.

Spirituality

Take and Eat, All of You

Welcoming people with disabilities in our parishes. We spoke with Monsignor Andrea Lonardo, director of the Catechetical Office of the Vicariate of Rome

Spirituality

A Spring of Faith

The person with a handicap, embodying life's difficulty and sometimes its terrible pain, teaches us—when we live beside them—to reject divisions, the obvious, and superficiality raised to system.

Testimonial · Spirituality

A Community Is Being Together

The Witness of Fr. Paolo Ricciardi, Pastor of Santa Silvia, Rome

Testimonial · Spirituality

Someone Is Waiting

Don Luigi D'Errico, pastor of Saints Martyrs of Uganda parish, reflects on the Church's relationship with disability

Spirituality

Living Communion

The Experience of the Fede e Luce Community "Nuovo Germoglio" at Santa Maria di Gesù Parish in Mazara del Vallo

Spirituality

Violet and Mimosa from Mexico City

Violet has a new baby sister, whom she decides must be named Mimosa "because they are two flowers and violet and yellow look beautiful together"

Spirituality

A Bishop as Friend

Valeria Levi della Vida recalls asking Cardinal Martini, alongside Francesco Gammarelli, to become the Bishop of Faith and Light

Spirituality

Beyond the Final Waiting Room

For many, the last waiting room opens onto darkness alone. Carlo Maria Martini believed that once he crossed the threshold of that "hard passage," he would encounter the fullness of truth.

Testimonial · Spirituality

Her Name Is Sara

How David and Helen's volunteer work in Madagascar led them to adopt Sara

Spirituality

Dear Cardinal Martini

Now that the media spotlight has dimmed, this small magazine speaks to you with affection and simplicity to offer our thanks as well

Editorial · Spirituality

Beauty and Disability

Why speak of beauty while we speak of physical, mental, and psychological disability? Why place two such distant realities side by side?

Open Dialogue · Spirituality

Open Dialogue No. 119

From Your Perspective: Suggestions, Comments, Critiques for the Magazine... Problems and Questions

Open Dialogue · Spirituality

Open Dialogue No. 117

Your Perspective: Suggestions, Comments, Criticism for the Magazine... Questions and Concerns

Spirituality

Rare Diseases: What You Need to Know

Rare diseases now affect millions worldwide. Approximately 8,000 have been identified to date, but that number keeps growing. Here's what you should understand about them.

Testimonial · Spirituality

Sandrino and Costello Syndrome

The day Alessandro was born was the most beautiful day of my life. But I knew at once that something was wrong.

Spirituality

Stolen Pensions

The pension cheaters are back in the news. Again. Pennablù has had enough.

Testimonial · Spirituality

Rediscovering the Grace of Confession

A boy with a disability came to confession. He left making the V-sign for victory. Other people began rushing to confess after witnessing the joy that forgiveness brings.

Spirituality

A Rebel Boy

I had never thought of John the Baptist as a rebel—as a son who turns away from the future his parents had lovingly and wisely imagined for him.

Editorial · Spirituality

Young Heroes

Today more than ever, pregnancy leaves us bewildered, confused, and often helpless—facing the profound mystery of a child forming in the womb.

Spirituality

Uncomfortable Wishes for the New Year

Dear friends, I mean to trouble you. I cannot abide the thought of offering wishes that are safe, formal, imposed by the calendar's routine. So then...

Spirituality

Julia, Jean, and the Tyranny of Normal

A conversation against the tyranny of normalcy: Jean Vanier and Julia Kristeva, one a believer and one not, reflect on what it means to be human, disabled, and brave enough to embrace difference.

Testimonial · Spirituality

Which Side Are You On?

I may be a coward, but I cannot answer these questions with certainty: Is this life?

Spirituality

The Gift-Giving Season

This year I want to give some gifts that truly matter—gifts that cost no money, but demand real effort and care.

Spirituality

In the Ward

It happens to all of us sooner or later: we find ourselves in the hands of strangers who, by profession and rarely by calling, take custody of our bodies, our suffering, our vulnerability, our distress.

Spirituality

Young People Need Concrete Results, Not Ideology

Jean-Marie Petitclerc has devoted his life to young people from the hardest neighborhoods of France.

Spirituality

10 Good Reasons to Volunteer

Pennablù thinks it over:

Testimonial · Spirituality

A Handful of Joy

Priscilla left for Vietnam in 2008 with MEP (Missions Étrangères Praigi), where she worked primarily with children aged 2 to 9. Today she works at a child protection center on the outskirts of Paris.

Testimonial · Spirituality

Today I'm Free

Testimonial · Spirituality

After-School in a Roma Camp

Flaminia reflects on her first volunteer experience teaching English and math to a 12-year-old girl in a Roma settlement at Spinaceto

Spirituality

UILDM: Italy's Fight Against Muscular Dystrophy

Founded in 1961, this organization has served for over fifty years as the leading voice for people with muscular dystrophies and other neuromuscular diseases, offering care, support, and advancing scientific research.

Spirituality

When Others Look at Us

"Look closely, and no one is normal." (F. Basaglia)

Testimonial · Spirituality

Tending Your Desires

Aging well is not improvised—it is prepared. The writer knows what she speaks of: at 96, she invests every ounce of energy in bringing life wherever she finds herself, in a residence for the elderly.

Spirituality

A Taxi Ride Through the City

"Could we drive through town?" "It's not the shortest route," I said. "Oh, that doesn't matter," she replied. "I'm not in a hurry. I'm going into a nursing home."

Testimonial · Spirituality

"I Don't Want Strangers in My House"

My mother's response when I suggested hiring a caregiver as she approached her ninetieth birthday

Spirituality

The Fears of Growing Old

Facing the many challenges of aging, older adults develop defensive strategies—a geriatrician explains how

Testimonial · Spirituality

My Africa

Lena discovered she had glaucoma and decided to travel to Africa to find her distant "son." She returns there every year, spending six months at a time.

Spirituality

The Bodyguards

A very particular kind of bodyguard—loyal and attentive, meticulous and watchful, in standard-issue uniforms ranging from jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers to a modest skirt, blouse, and sensible mid-heeled shoes, depending on personal taste and circumstance

Spirituality

The Priest as a Man of Compassion

Do not walk ahead of me; I may not follow. Do not walk behind me; I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend.

Testimonial · Spirituality

You Are Both Lamb and Shepherd

Father Geffroy shows how fragility confirms the sacred nature of priesthood—and proves it through his work with homeless people in Paris

Testimonial · Spirituality

Two Callings

Olga Gammarelli's testimony on the twentieth anniversary of the Carro

Testimonial · Spirituality

Like a Poem You Love

The moment we arrived at Carro, one photo erased every year of distance: the community standing beside our family.

Testimonial · Spirituality

Vanessa's Courage

Every time she hears her classmates talk about their brothers and sisters, her face grows sad and out comes her small voice: "Mommy, I miss Gabriele so much!"

Testimonial · Spirituality

A Close Look

A New Testament from Pennablù

Open Dialogue · Spirituality

Open Dialogue No. 111

Editorial · Spirituality

Her First Cry Was Joy

Four small stories to remind us all of the magic and wonder that nature holds for anyone—child or adult—who knows how to behold it

Spirituality

Dogs, Ponies—and Sea Lions

A new look at pet therapy, a rehabilitative approach researched and tested since the 1960s

Testimonial · Spirituality

Raging with Blame: A Mother's Search for Guilt

My daughter is handicapped. Whose fault is it? I need to know who to blame, because I have a score to settle.

Open Dialogue · Spirituality

Open Dialogue no. 109

From your point of view: suggestions, comments, criticisms for the magazine... problems and questions

Testimonial · Spirituality

Once Upon a Time in the City of the Mad

The RAI miniseries brought Franco Basaglia's story back to life—a psychiatrist who dared to dream

Testimonial · Spirituality

The Body's Privacy: "Maria Doesn't Know Shame"

A parent's account of raising a daughter with Down syndrome

Testimonial · Spirituality

In Memory of Alda Merini

The poet Alda Merini died in her Milan home on November 1, 2009

Spirituality

"A Smile Still Lingers on My Face"

Letter to my beloved brothers and sisters of Faith and Light gathered in Cattolica

Testimonial · Spirituality

Toward Evening

A few days ago I ran into Franco, and he looked exhausted and worried. He told me he'd been to the neighborhood health clinic, and after waiting in a long line, he couldn't get his mother a cardiology appointment.

Testimonial · Spirituality

Living My Limitations in Truth

André, blind from birth, married, father of four, ordained deacon

Spirituality

Under the Umbrella

Five riddles to pass the time on holiday — Text by Tea Cabras, illustrations by Arianna Floris

Testimonial · Spirituality

Rosa

The day Gianni burst into the workshop to announce he had fallen in love and gotten engaged to a classmate named Rosa — I'll never forget it.

Spirituality

The Real Presence

Or perhaps: the reality of presence, or the truth of it.

Testimonial · Spirituality

Not a Saint

Sister Emmanuelle, a courageous and exemplary woman who waged an unrelenting fight against poverty in our time, died this past October

Spirituality

The Little Friars

The church was half-empty that sultry Sunday at the end of August: mostly middle-aged women fanning themselves, a few children dragged along by their grandparents, only a handful of very young couples in love.

Spirituality

I Am an African

A poem by Desmond Tutu, Anglican Archbishop of South Africa

Spirituality

Behold, I Make All Things New

A homily by Don Dario Madaschi at the National Fede e Luce Gathering in Rome, October 1982

Editorial · Spirituality

From Birth

There is an injustice woven into human life that should make us think—and do more than think.

Spirituality

Have You Seen Adriano?

Our ceramics teacher spent many years teaching in kindergarten, and she has forgotten nothing from those days: the children, her colleagues, the methods she used to teach them.

Spirituality

All of Us Need the Sacraments

Spirituality

A Confirmation for All of Us

Spirituality

Man Looks at the Face, God Looks at the Heart

Spirituality

Walking Beside Marco

Open Dialogue · Spirituality

Open Dialogue #101

From You: Suggestions, Comments, Criticism—Your Questions and Concerns for the Magazine

Spirituality

Neither He Nor His Parents

An edited version of Cardinal Martini's address to parents of disabled children in the Fede e Luce movement, Assisi, April 1986

Spirituality

What If Jesus Wrote to Us Today

It happens every Christmas. People remember only what they ate and drank, the gifts they received. Almost no one thinks of me.

Spirituality

Mary, the Mother of Jesus — A Story for Children

An Illustrated Story — Text and Illustrations by Maïte Roche

Testimonial · Spirituality

My Patience Has Limits

Twenty-five years directing specialized educators who work with troubled adolescents taught Father Petitclerc the surprising power of patience as a virtue.

Testimonial · Spirituality

Holy Patience!

A splendid virtue. But why holy? Because it works miracles like the saints, or because it makes holy those who practice it with labor and perseverance?

Spirituality

Why Suffering? Some Reflections

Suffering and pain—especially the suffering of the innocent—confront us all with a single question: why? A friend wanted to share some thoughts.

Spirituality

It Is Always Easter! — The Stone

Easter, the feast of the earthquake. A reflection by Bishop Tonino Bello

Testimonial · Spirituality

"These Children Are Sacred"

A mother writes about Lennox-Gastaut syndrome—and why she will never accept what Ashley's parents chose to do

Testimonial · Spirituality

Trapped: A Boy's Journey with Attention Deficit Disorder Without Hyperactivity

We knew our son was special when he was born. The kindergarten teachers were the first to suggest he was different from the other children.

Spirituality

Marija's Christmas Child

A spoiled, xenophobic elderly woman and her new Ukrainian caregiver

Testimonial · Spirituality

A Day in Milan: Francesca and the AIPD Calendar

When they told me Francesca had been chosen for a photo with Gianna Nannini, I couldn't stop crying

Spirituality

The Mayonnaise Jar and Coffee

A philosophy professor stands before his class in silence, takes a large empty mayonnaise jar, and begins filling it with golf balls...

Testimonial · Spirituality

I Didn't Know

A mother, pregnant with her fourth child, is summoned urgently by her doctor—who presents one option: therapeutic abortion.

Spirituality

The Power of Tenderness: When the Spell Broke

We had noticed that Antonio was a bit slower than his younger brother Carlo. My husband and I thought it would be best to put them in the same class, so Carlo could help and protect him.

Spirituality

The New Girl

Testimonial · Spirituality

God's Tenderness

In November 2005, a retreat on God's Tenderness led by Jean Vanier took place at L'Arche in Bologna. Nearly 200 people attended from across Italy, along with representatives from L'Arche communities around the world.

Spirituality

"Counseling" in Verse

Antonella Bianchi, psychologist and psychotherapist, Counseling Service for Parents, Institute of Ortophonology, Rome

Open Dialogue · Spirituality

Open Forum #93

Your voice: suggestions, comments, criticism for the magazine... problems and questions

Spirituality

The Time of an Ave Maria

Federico is a 27-year-old autistic young man. Because of his needs, he requires clear spatial and temporal boundaries within which to move and act.

Testimonial · Spirituality

Bishops at the Opening of Faith and Light in Rome

I worried our guests would feel out of place, embarrassed, or bored. Instead, the day became a true celebration. They shared our picnic with complete ease and took part in every activity we had planned.

Testimonial · Spirituality

John Paul II Didn't Seem Like a Priest or a Pope

The Tender Attention John Paul II Showed Our Disabled Children

Testimonial · Spirituality

Karol and Me

When his eyes met mine, I'm not sure I made clear to the Holy Father what I longed for—but his eyes told me to keep going, and to hope.

Testimonial · Spirituality

John Paul II Up Close

In 1986, the Pope came to our parish for a pastoral visit — and met our Fede e Luce community, S. Gioacchino, at St. Lucy's in Rome

Spirituality

John Paul II and People with Disabilities

A reflection on the Pope's commitment to and affection for people with handicaps, drawn from his message closing the European Year of Disabled People

Testimonial · Spirituality

John Paul II's Gift

We hung a beautiful photo of the Pope in our window: he has a bandage on his forehead and a gentle smile, like a child who's just gotten into mischief

Testimonial · Spirituality

Father Francesco, Our Gift

On May 5, Father Francesco Marchini went to Heaven. He taught us that our disabled children are real people.

Spirituality

"Do You Love Me?" — The Final Question

Finding the ultimate question—the one that shapes the quality of an entire life—can matter profoundly.

Open Dialogue · Spirituality

Open Dialogue No. 90

Your Voice: Suggestions, comments, criticism for the magazine... questions and concerns from our readers

Testimonial · Spirituality

To My Daughter

I want to remember your smile—the one that would break across your face whenever the illness gave you a moment's peace.

Spirituality

The Temptation to Run When Difficulty Strikes

A reflection by Don Marco Bove, National Chaplain of Fede e Luce

Spirituality

Just Another Day

Editorial · Spirituality

Massimo's Christmas

In his family, Massimo has proclaimed that Love which his devoted grandparents lived fully with him and for him

Spirituality

Carlo's Christmas

Christmas is one of the holidays most treasured from our childhood. Here's how Carlo spends it.

Spirituality

The Rich Man's Christmas

How much we resemble Dives. We too rarely leave our homes and the boundaries of our daily worries.

Spirituality

How to Say "No! You Can't Have That"

What matters most to me as a mother is that my children don't waste their time and energy thinking only of themselves, but grow with an open mind to the world

Testimonial · Spirituality

Being Present to the Dying

Dr. Marie-Sylvie Richard, a Xaverian sister and director of a palliative care center, reflects on her lived experience alongside the dying

Testimonial · Spirituality

A Weakened Church in Its Head: Source and Sign of God's Presence

I returned with three scenes carved into my heart. The days I spent there will remain in my heart until my last moment on earth.

Editorial · Spirituality

The Uscobufpt Injection

Summer is over and we're back on the road, but most of us carry a shadow—a sense of depression, a loss of confidence, the fear that we simply won't make it.

Spirituality

How Children See

Vittorio De Sica's old, beautiful film was called "The Children Are Watching Us"—and it's true. Children watch us. But the way they look changes with each stage of their brief, sometimes very brief, childhood.

Spirituality

"Thank You for This Disabled Child"

How many times we parents have prayed aloud: "Why me, Lord? Why a child with such difficulties?" — A mother's letter

Spirituality

How We See People Different from Us: Alexandre Jollien's Reflections

We need new eyes—not eyes of shock or pity, but easy eyes, eyes of sympathy toward every person

Spirituality

Don't Go Looking for Salt in the Soup

Last issue we asked how people with disabilities belong in the Christian community. In this issue, we begin to answer through the words of don Romano and don David, two Roman parish priests we interviewed.

Spirituality

Human Resistance

I asked Don David, pastor of Sant'Angela Merici in Rome, where he stood on the question of people with mental disabilities.

Spirituality

Sunday With the Disabled

A training course in Bari province affirmed that disabled people are full members of the Christian community

Open Dialogue · Spirituality

Open Dialogue No. 85

From Your Perspective: Suggestions, Comments, Criticism for the Magazine... Our Readers' Questions and Concerns

Testimonial · Spirituality

A Mother's Letter to the Bishops

The faith community is called to welcome disability and offer a shared response to the mystery of suffering and exclusion

Testimonial · Spirituality

A Mass Without Dignity

From the altar, irritated, embarrassed, and pitying glances fell upon us—revealing how hard it is for people to welcome those who are different

Spirituality

"For You and for Everyone" — Practical Steps to Make Sure No One Feels Turned Away

How are people with disabilities welcomed at Sunday Mass in our parishes? Experiences vary widely. Here are some practical steps to ensure no one feels turned away.

Spirituality

The Song of the Magi

This Christmas carol—born from unknown sources and an unknown hand—weaves together poetry, faith, innocence, and longing. You have to read it aloud to feel it.

Spirituality

Take and Eat

I often wonder where our religious customs and beliefs come from, and why they have drifted so far from their true origins.

Editorial · Spirituality

"A Son Has Been Given to Us"

We too have signs. We too have a star that can lead us where we struggle to go.

Testimonial · Spirituality

Just a Line

For months now, I have carried a particular concern for parents. For the parents in Fede e Luce, but also for all parents who suddenly realize their child will not grow up like other children.

Spirituality

The Enchanted Broom: A Christmas Tale

A story collected and told by Natalia Livi

Spirituality

The Christmas Tale — In Venetian Dialect

Giovanni Zaninello of Cavarzere (Venice) offers this delightful poem in Venetian as our Christmas gift. It shines with all its charm even for those unfamiliar with the dialect, if read with a little imagination.

Spirituality

Red Light

There are days when the sky seems to collapse on top of you, and you feel the urge to cry.

Spirituality

How to Organize a Quadriglia: A Complete Guide

An upbeat, inclusive group dance that everyone can enjoy. Here's everything you need to know to pull off a wonderful quadriglia.

Spirituality

A Mass Made to Measure: How Parents and Friends Built a Liturgy for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Not a second-class Mass or an improvisation, but a full liturgical-eucharistic celebration, adapted to the needs and capacity of people with intellectual disabilities to understand and participate

Spirituality

The Kinnor—A Choir of People With and Without Intellectual Disabilities Brings Music to Sunday Mass

The Kinnor is a singing community. Together, people with intellectual disabilities and those without take up the challenge of offering liturgical praise.

Spirituality

Disability and Liturgy: A New Entry in the Liturgy Dictionary for Priests and Catechists

The latest Liturgy Dictionary (San Paolo 2001) includes an entry on "disability and liturgy," written by Don Carlo Cibien. Don Enrico Cattaneo reviews and comments on it here.

Spirituality

The 2002 Woman of the Year: Mariangela

The award ceremony, held March 7, 2002, at the Boncompagni Ludovisi Museum in Rome.

Spirituality

A Gift of Poetry: Four Friends from Comunità il Roveto

Maria Grazia, Maria Francesca, Laura, and Nunzia from Comunità il Roveto have given us a gift—one brimming with poetry.

Spirituality

The Stranger

This reflection was written by an elderly person who wished to remain anonymous. In an age of globalization, it is worth pausing to consider what we mean by "stranger."

Spirituality

"I Am Growing Old"

Prayer of a 17th-Century English Nun at Canterbury

Editorial · Spirituality

Small Justice

What are our petty daily grievances, measured against those who have borne the "misfortune" of living with profound suffering from childhood onward?

Spirituality

Teaching Faith to People with Disabilities

Editorial · Spirituality

A Christmas Apart

How I wish I could sit with each of you on Christmas evening and listen to your heart—so tested, yet so brave

Spirituality

Born Twice: On a Father's Journey

A writer confronts his doctors after his son's difficult birth

Spirituality

Listen to What I Cannot Say

Don't be fooled by how I look. I wear a thousand different masks, and none of them show you who I really am.

Spirituality

Our Part

What can we ordinary people actually do for the environment?

Spirituality

Seen with the Heart

A short story from Alleluia-Arche, full of love and hope

Spirituality

From Garden to Wall

On long winter afternoons, how do you hold onto the memory of sun, color, and flowers? In our workshop, friends learned a simple method to create small framed compositions using pressed flowers.

Spirituality

Game — What Kind of House Is It?

Spirituality

Charles de Foucauld: Jesus' Friend in the Desert

Spirituality

Prayer with Maria Teresa

Spirituality

Our Great Friends: Saint Joseph of Copertino, the Flying Friar

Spirituality

A Mother and a Theologian

Editorial · Spirituality

Saint Joseph's Little Loaves

Spirituality

Prader-Willi Syndrome

Spirituality

A Prayer for Children

Spirituality

When Eating Becomes a Struggle

Dr. Marie-Odile Réthoré answers a mother's questions about healthy eating habits for her disabled daughter

Open Dialogue · Spirituality

Open Dialogue No. 66

Spirituality

Luca, My Autistic Son

Spirituality

Your Word Is for Everyone

Spirituality

Mime as Prayer: Encountering the Gospel at Faith and Light

Spirituality

Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Dedicated to children… and to all of us

Our great friends - Men and women who have testified to love through their lives, told through illustrated pictures

Spirituality

Now She Can Rest

Spirituality

Teaching Faith to Those Who Cannot Speak

Spirituality

Mother Teresa of Calcutta—For Children... and All of Us

Spirituality

Learning During the Holidays

Spirituality

For the Children—and for All of Us: Alice

Spirituality

Our Great Friend: Luigi Monza — A Story in Pictures

Spirituality

Marco and Daniela

Spirituality

His Grandparents

Spirituality

He Did Not Love Sofia

Spirituality

For Children: Carlo

Spirituality

The Mother of the House

Spirituality

Chiara's Birthday Party

Spirituality

For the Children—Flavio

Spirituality

What Luca Meant in Your Life

Spirituality

For the Children

Spirituality

Igor, or God's Surprise

Testimonial · Spirituality

The Gaze of Others

Testimonial · Spirituality

You're Finally Here

Spirituality

Come, Spirit of Life

Testimonial · Spirituality

Our Journey

Spirituality

Teaching the Faith to Autistic People

Editorial · Spirituality

The Most Like Him

Spirituality

Sacraments and People with Disabilities

Spirituality

Eucharist and Confirmation for James

Spirituality

I Don't Know Your Language, but I Want to Learn It

Spirituality

Preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation

Spirituality

Christian Life and Disability

Spirituality

Hand in Hand

Spirituality

God Makes No Distinctions

Spirituality

Learning Games for Everyone — Think Through the Answers

Spirituality

Preparing for the Sacrament: A Guide for Young People with Disabilities

Editorial · Spirituality

A Difficult and Delicate Question

Spirituality

I Tried to Make My Heart Sing

Spirituality

Confession

Spirituality

He Won't Go to Mass Anymore

Spirituality

Catechesis and Disability: The Sacrament of Reconciliation

Spirituality

14 Interactive Games for Unforgettable Group Fun

Embark on a journey of laughter and camaraderie with our curated list of 14 entertaining games designed for groups of all sizes.

Editorial · Spirituality

Let's Play

Spirituality

Why Have You Abandoned Us?

Spirituality

Where Was He?

Spirituality

Chicco in My Arms: One Mother's Journey

Testimonial · Spirituality

Faith Is an Encounter

Spirituality

Faith Formation for All

Spirituality

God's Tenderness

Spirituality

Bedtime

Spirituality

When Sleep Won't Come

Spirituality

Bedwetting: What Parents Need to Know

Spirituality

I Cry Out to You

Spirituality

An Active Member of the Church

Spirituality

Rewards or Punishment?

Spirituality

A Sailor on the Train

Spirituality

1992: Birth of Catechesis for People with Handicaps

Testimonial · Spirituality

I Feared No One Would Accept Me as a Catechist

Spirituality

So That No One Is Left Behind

Editorial · Spirituality

"Let Them Come to Me"

Testimonial · Spirituality

Flaminia's First Communion Changed Us All

Testimonial · Spirituality

Maria, My Goddaughter

Testimonial · Spirituality

Being a Godfather Changed His Life

Spirituality

Catechetical Resources for People with Disabilities

Testimonial · Spirituality

A Window Opens in Our Lives

Spirituality

The Spirit of the Lord Is Indeed Upon Marco

Spirituality

Bringing the Mass to Life: Making It One

A practical guide to preparing, conducting, and evaluating a Eucharistic celebration that engages everyone

Testimonial · Spirituality

Hope in Everyday Life: Raising Our Son with Myopathy

Spirituality

Breaking the News: How to Tell Parents Their Child Has Down Syndrome

Spirituality

First Place

Spirituality

A Prayer in Illness

Spirituality

Come Down a Little Farther

Spirituality

You Called Her to Bear Fruit

A mother reflects on the mystery of innocent suffering: her daughter Lorenza, severely disabled, died at 27—and lived a happy life

Testimonial · Spirituality

The Child Who Won't Eat

Testimonial · Spirituality

Where Else but in the Church?

Spirituality

He Waited for Us to Notice Him

Spirituality

My Daughter's Place in the Church

Spirituality

"She Came to Help, Because Her Cousin Was Waiting for John"

Spirituality

He Waited for Us to Notice Him

Spirituality

Teaching Religious Faith to Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Spirituality

What a Parish Community Can Do for People with Disabilities

Spirituality

Teaching Faith to Our Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Spirituality

What the Pope Really Said About Epilepsy

Editorial · Spirituality

It Takes So Little to Keep Us from Feeling Alone

Spirituality

The Person with Disability: Sign of Contradiction, Source of Unity

Spirituality

Come forth people, with strength

Is it possible to stage a theatrical performance about the life of St. Francis of Assisi with a cast of "actors" made up of young people, boys and girls with handicaps, children and parents?

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci No. 18 – 1987 – Browse Online

Spirituality

What He Saw, and What He Thought

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci, Issue 17 (1987)

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci, Issue 16 – 1986

Spirituality

A Religious Awakening for the Severely Handicapped

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci No. 15 – 1986

Spirituality

Cardinal Martini Addresses the Faith and Light Communities

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci, Issue 14 – 1986

Spirituality

Shadows and Light, Issue 13 – 1986

Spirituality

A Smile Masks a Hardened Heart

Spirituality

The Weight of Their Gaze

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci, Issue 12 – 1986

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci, No. 11 – 1985

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci No. 10 – 1983

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci, No. 9 – 1985

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci No. 8 – 1984 – Browsable Issue

Spirituality

Shadows and Light, No. 7 – 1984

Spirituality

Shadows and Light, Issue 6 – 1984

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci, Issue 5 – 1984

Editorial · Spirituality

No One Excluded

Spirituality

Like Every Other Sunday, Anna

Spirituality

What More Can I Tell You?

Spirituality

Meb the Joyful Painter—One Man's Triumph

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci, No. 4 – 1983

Spirituality

/

/

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci, No. 2 – 1983

Spirituality

Ombre e Luci, No. 1 – 1983 – Browse Online

Spirituality

Whose Difficulty—Theirs or Ours?

The Mass is, gathered around Jesus and in Him, the family supper of God's children in the Father's house.

Spirituality

With Mary

Spirituality

Forgiveness

"From the scratch, from our fragility recognized, confessed, lamented… God will begin to carve in us the flower blooming at the stem of humility"

Editorial · Spirituality

Jean Vanier's Message to Young People

Spirituality

Why Lourdes?

Spirituality

A Christmas Story

Spirituality

On the Side of Lazarus

Spirituality

Five Years of the Little House

Spirituality

A Visit to the Little House

Spirituality

Sharing the Same Meal

Spirituality

Goodbye, Alessandro

Testimonial · Spirituality

A Birthday at a Friend's Bedside

A touching reflection on life and faith told through an extraordinary birthday: an encounter with Aldo, bedridden for a decade, reveals the mystery of divine love and the worth of every human existence.

Spirituality

Take and Eat of It, All of You

We discover that our first handicap is our inability to love and to be loved

Testimonial · Spirituality

He Left Home for the First Time

Testimonial · Spirituality

She's in Fourth Grade Now — and She's Still One of Us

Spirituality

Like a Ray of Sunlight

Spirituality

If — Assisi 1978

Spirituality

It Rained That Day

Spirituality

Blessed Are the Poor — A Pilgrimage to Assisi, 1978

Spirituality

The Canticle of the Creatures

We present the text of the Canticle of the Creatures, also known as the Canticum or Laudes Creaturarum, composed by Saint Francis of Assisi around 1224. It is the oldest poetic text in Italian literature.

Spirituality

An Open Letter to Francis of Assisi

Spirituality

A Glass of Water

Editorial · Spirituality

Editorial: On Vacation

Have you ever met Brother Sun? Have you ever spoken with him? Have you ever sat in silence with him, the way you do with someone you love?

Spirituality

Careers in Rehabilitation and Special Education

A guide to professional training programs that prepare young people for work in rehabilitation and therapeutic education

Editorial · Spirituality

Best Wishes for All

A wish for everyone and from everyone—full of things beyond words, a hope that it might transform into reality for all, not remain mere language

Spirituality

Communion: What It Means

In our last article, we explored what a sacrament is. Today we look at the meaning of the Eucharist.

Spirituality

What Is a Sacrament? What Is the Eucharist? What Is Confession?

We begin a three-part series to help us understand the sacraments more deeply

Spirituality

A Cross of Sandpaper: Teaching Faith to Children

How sensory touch opens the hearts of all children—especially those who learn differently—to faith, hope, and love

Spirituality

The Cranky Old Woman

A poem found among the belongings of an elderly Irish woman who died in a nursing home

Spirituality

A Glimpse of "L'Arche"

From the newsletter Tralal'Arche

Spirituality

To You, My Child

A mother's hymn of love: from Fede e Luce, 1976

Spirituality

Will We Ever See the Light?

Michel Charpentier's Editorial

Testimonial · Spirituality

Where Do I Find Such Love?

Angela's testimony: a mother's struggle to speak her grief

Spirituality

Teaching by Light: Sensory Catechesis for an Inclusive Spiritual Life

Exploring spiritual formation with children of different abilities and discovering the beauty of encountering God through experience and love

Testimonial · Spirituality

I Feel in Crisis

This is what I feel, sometimes, during our Faith and Light meetings

Spirituality

Round Table

Monday evening hosted a Round Table discussion titled: "The Handicapped, My Brother. The Right to Life—What Kind of Life?"

Spirituality

Noris

I am Noris's mother—she is my oldest daughter. Like so many mothers before me, I wanted to tell you about my child.

Spirituality

A Christmas Lullaby — Ancient Carol Transcribed by a Child

We present the score and text that a child from Fede e Luce carefully transcribed

Spirituality

Roberto's Mother Writes to Us

We are delighted to publish Fernanda's letter and the poem she enclosed

Spirituality

They Needed Us

Albine's account of visiting Grégoire, an autistic child, at the summer institute where he stays, together with her husband

Spirituality

Children of Us All

And then I understood why I was there, why I had to be there.

Open Dialogue · Spirituality

Letters from Our Readers

Insieme exists because we want to hear from you. We warmly invite everyone—young and old—to share your stories with us: letters, drawings, and testimonies, offered simply and from the heart.

Spirituality

Making a Mass Come Alive: Creating Unity in Worship

Spirituality

My Headlamp

Four years after her daughter Thaïs's death, Anne-Dauphine Julliand has written a new book—a reckoning with family life struck twice over by disability and illness. She reflects, quietly, on faith's role in this harrowing journey.

Spirituality

The Jubilee's True Joy

On Friday, June 10, the Jubilee for the sick and disabled opened with a catechesis on reconciliation adapted for deaf, blind, and deafblind people at Santa Maria in Vallicella, in the heart of Rome.

Testimonial · Spirituality

The Wisdom Tooth and Voluntary Service

Three seasons have passed since my discharge, and I understand now what the deepest value of that work truly was—not in the moment, but in what has endured since, in what has grown, in the people and bonds that became part of my life.