Cuneo — from a letter by Mimmo (April)
Maria Grazia! Stepping back into the past, a flood of memories for me—I've already seen two Faith and Light celebrations in Rome, so being here with you felt like one of those Roman gatherings had come to life among us.
Days to explore Cuneo; evenings to get to know the Faith and Light friends. At Mario's house it felt like any other gathering, which shows that those of us from Cuneo and Rome, bound together by Faith and Light, are truly one. The only hitch was that Maria Grazia couldn't understand a word of Piedmontese!!
So we set words aside—they so often break the spell of unity that's already so hard to create. By the time it came to leave, we still managed a dinner together at Mario's.
Genuine Piedmontese food through and through!
Come back soon, Maria Grazia! And bring all the Rome groups with you!
Cuneo Again — from a letter by Mario (June)
On Sunday, June 6th, we held a particularly joyful gathering during which two sisters, Mariangela, twelve, and Laura, eight, received the Eucharist for the first time. The meeting began around three o'clock in the courtyard of Stella Mattutina with games and contests that drew in everyone—children, parents, friends, and sisters. Despite our large group, a warm atmosphere of friendship took hold at once.
We played, sang, and laughed together the whole time!
We improvised an orchestra where each cluster of people imitated the sound of an instrument: guitar, violin, piano. We played "The Carnival of Venice," but it was nearly unrecognizable because a few of us were a bit off-key.
Around 3:45 we practiced the songs we'd sing during the liturgy. By four o'clock, in the welcoming chapel of the institute, we began the Mass with the hymn "When We Come Together," so we could be united with you as well. After the readings came a beautiful homily. When Mariangela and Laura received Jesus for the first time, a burst of applause from all of us made the celebration even more alive.
For some time we've been looking for a space to use as our home. We finally found one: a beautiful location on one of Cuneo's main avenues. Across the street stands a large open space surrounded by tall pines.
The rent they're asking—twenty thousand lire a month—isn't easy on our budget, but the group is full of goodwill, and I'm hopeful we'll manage to scrape it together each month.
Milan
Our group of friends gathered for a second time. A few new mothers came to see what we're about before bringing their children next time.
Luigi Raffaghello's presence—delighted to be among friends—meant a great deal to us. We look forward to hearing what he thinks of these gatherings.
See you all in October.
The Editorial Team
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