On April 28, the Augustinian College of Santa Monica in Rome hosted a formation day for spiritual assistants of Fede e Luce. Assistants from various communities in the Kimata province attended, as well as those from Mari and Vulcani, along with other religious figures with past ties to FL.
The expert don Massimo Boarotto (a truly invaluable consecrated soul of the organization, alongside our gracious host padre Alberto Bochatey) had warned us in advance: "Priests don't much enjoy being trained, because they do it and have done it extensively." Yet these fifteen men and one woman approached the gathering with a different spirit altogether.
The theme was the role of spiritual assistants, and all the participants brought with them the openness to receive that those familiar with Fede e Luce know well. My impression is that it cannot be easy for those accustomed to an operational and guiding role within parishes and religious communities to move softly through a community of lay people. But this was precisely at the heart of the testimonies—especially from the priest presenters: the humility of questioning oneself and feeling like a friend among others, while retaining one's particular gifts, avoiding all paternalism yet serving as a spiritual anchor for the group (in an ecumenical and always welcoming dimension).
The afternoon brought interventions that struck me most powerfully, especially those from two longtime Fede e Luce mothers in Rome (Enrica Cofano and Mariangela Bertolini). What moved me was not so much the topics they addressed as how they recounted pieces of the movement's history and fragments of life. Their lives and those of their children changed radically when they encountered Jean Vanier and his then-revolutionary idea: "It is worth giving your life for our young people." But has this revolution continued? Perhaps there remains a leap in quality to be made—breaking down isolation by building friendships that are genuine, lasting, and reliable. And priests can serve as a bridge in this process.
It is not an easy journey, even in my small experience, and it is built day by day by seeking to go beyond the usual occasions of encounter and to crack open the narrow, often impenetrable armor we wrap around ourselves in everyday life. Moreover, according to Mariangela, we must look beyond what we see in order to believe that the Spirit of the Trinity dwells within the young person—a powerful message, the fruit of an individual journey independent of FL. Yet perhaps it is not impossible, given that one participant told me he was struck by how for many of them "the experience in Fede e Luce bears the marks of receiving rather than giving, because we are constantly visited by God who speaks to us through the tenderness, affection, and fragility of the young people; the gentleness, depth, and suffering of the parents; or the passion, care, and enthusiasm of the friends."
Mariangela speaks with her blue eyes wide open, her charism evident, even when she spurs on the priests with a maternal and somewhat gruff manner—the audience feels it so keenly that one priest jokingly calls her "lady bishop." And so don Massimo's prediction was proved wrong: even experienced and mature priests seem to feel they can learn something from a "non-consecrated" woman.
To conclude, what better words to draw inspiration from than those of don Lino Cassi (who unfortunately could not be present in person):
I set out
driven by the desire
to help the poor
and I discovered the disabledI shared with them
and I encountered
the mystery of the smallI listened to
this living gospel
and it revealed itself as a teacherI followed its footsteps
and I found peace
Perhaps if spiritual assistants struggle to find their role, serving as explorers discovering the mystery of the small could prove a fulfilling path.
Paolo Chirichigno, 2012