Formation That Moves Us Forward
The provincial council had been hoping for a formation weekend for some time, and at the end of March, we finally made it happen. Regional leaders from Piedmont, Veneto, and Lombardia attended. We missed the Galilea coordinators—those teaching in Israel cannot leave the country until July—but we'll bring this formation to them. The figure of Peter introduced us to responsibility through Sergio's theatrical performance based on "My Name Is Peter." During the Vigil, we remembered our calling in Faith and Light. Peter also guided us on Saturday under Don Mauro's direction. We then turned to witnesses of exceptional caliber: Raul, our international coordinator, and Jean Vanier, to launch our discussion groups. At the heart lay Jesus's call to each of us, and our responsibility to serve. But becoming servants through love requires work on ourselves, attachment to Jesus. The call to responsibility is a call to happiness—it makes us better men and women. The exchanges, the mutual discovery, the stories unfolded across the days. On Sunday, Angela Grassi masterfully led us through deepening our understanding of the Charter and our roots. The joy of having accepted this challenge was palpable, both among participants and organizers. This formation will truly move us forward. A word about our venue: "Up Close, No One Is Normal," a former psychiatric hospital converted by the Olinda Cooperative. Antonio spoke with us about this history and the beautiful testimony it holds about mental health.
— Liliana Ghiringhelli
Young People
In April, we young people gathered for a formation day hosted by the Roman community of S. Gregorio. Though I've been part of Faith and Light for eight years, I've never quite known how to explain what it really is—it was hard then and still is now. The youth formation helped me understand the importance of this enormous group of shared life, how much the young people need us and we need them. But one thing struck me most: the difference between joy and happiness, which I'd always treated as the same thing. Nanni Bertolini, talking about his family and his thoughts on what a YouTuber said about disability, taught me that at Faith and Light we're free to speak and share our things without worry. I'm grateful to Rita Dinale and Carla Cecilia, but especially to Nanni, who managed to capture my attention and help me understand the importance of Faith and Light and the people who are part of it—both the young people and the adults.
— Grace Vetro, 16 years old
Prudence
It happens—not often, but it happens—that new friends come into our communities. It's a joy for everyone. Fresh energy arrives, eyes that haven't yet known routine, the wonder of first meetings with the young people and their parents. It's a kind of beauty. In recent years, we've told ourselves we shouldn't fear giving responsibility even to those who haven't been in Faith and Light very long. Yet some recent experiences make me think this enthusiasm needs to be tempered by a Christian virtue that, especially when we're young, we tend to find useless and annoying: prudence. Let me explain: our joy at welcoming new friends must not make us forget that our young people are fragile. We need to approach with gentleness, to earn their trust slowly, to listen long and carefully to their parents before a true and strong friendship can grow. And it's right that those who've been in community longer explain these things clearly to newcomers. Without fear they might leave, because if they do, it will simply mean the seed fell on stony ground. — Vito Giannulo