Several readers have written asking about the "Faith and Light" movement, which we have mentioned more than once in these pages and which this magazine considers an expression of its own mission.
At the same time, one mother—let's call her Alessandro's mom—wrote to us about her handicapped eight-year-old son:
"The battles I fought with myself, years ago, to accept him fully and to love him—they were terrible. But I have no doubt that I won them. What I have not overcome are the battles to help him belong to the community around us, to make others understand that he, too, as a person, has the right to be respected, to be helped with what he needs, to be loved for who he is, not for what he lacks. Unfortunately, most parents in my situation don't realize that truly loving your children means you cannot isolate yourself. You must join a community life together.
Only then can we reach goals that seem impossible when we stand alone."
These words struck us as more eloquent than any explanation we could offer. They captured why we believe in this movement.
Faith and Light began in France some years ago and now operates in many countries—England, Canada, and others—though it is still young in Italy.
Its members—parents, educators, young people, and adults—are convinced of the deep worth of the handicapped person. They work together in faith, nurturing what is genuinely human and Christian in their own lives and in the people they encounter. Their aim is simple: to give the handicapped person his rightful place in society and in the Church.
The international organization defines its purpose this way:
- To create gatherings of friendship and prayer that bring together handicapped people, their families, their educators, and their friends
- To help these communities become part of all human and Christian communities
- To promote every kind of action that helps handicapped people develop their human and spiritual gifts and to integrate themselves, as much as possible, into society
Now we open this conversation to all of you. We want to hear what you think. Send us your ideas for initiatives and meetings, or even your questions and doubts.
For now we have sketched only the bare outline. But clearly this needs to grow. We want to describe what has already been done in other countries, and to work with you on a program for Italy as well.
"TOGETHER" is therefore our first call—made with humility and honesty, with joyful trust in God and in people—inviting you to join this path.
— The editors, 1974