Fede e Luce Life, Issue 148

Summer Camps, All of Them

Five camps across the province last summer! Cesenatico brought together 110 people—a large number, perhaps, but it speaks to our hunger to be together and to the deep meaning this historic camp holds for Lombardy. The camp at Fano grew from Antonio, a young man from our Gratosoglio community, who asked the teenagers and the parish priest to come spend their vacation with us. And they said yes. Andora drew families and friends from both Piedmont and Lombardy. In Veneto, the Conselve community came together. In Galilee, two communities met for three days. There is work ahead for all of us—to ensure these camps truly become moments of encounter in the spirit of Fede e Luce, nourishment for our bonds as a community, and not merely a vacation. — Liliana Ghiringhelli

Welcomed as Brother and Pastor

As the new assistant to the Santa Silvia Community, I already knew Fede e Luce through my pastoral work with families in my diocese. During the formation days in Rome, I gained a clearer sense of the prophetic mission that belongs to a Fede e Luce community—a hearth of sure and fruitful presence of the Lord Jesus, according to his own word, in the midst of those gathered in his name, even the smallest among us, those limited in certain capacities but not in their power to kindle in our hearts a call to poor and generous love, to authentic and joyful brotherhood. My responsibilities at the Roman Curia led me to seek direct pastoral engagement, work that would weave simple bonds of fraternity. Fede e Luce has welcomed me as brother and pastor. And I begin with joy this journey alongside my community, house by house. My gratitude to those who organized these days, and to every person who took part. And to say it in the words of my Provence: longo mai!

— Luc Marie Lalanne

I Changed My Mind

Early in October, we held a formation gathering at Isola delle Femmine, with parents and friends—and young people too. Some of them immediately wanted to know about the name of the place; once they discovered it had ancient roots, we could get down to work. Don Mauro Santoro from Milan joined us and helped with real enthusiasm and skill. There's a school of thought that says formation meetings—work of reflection and study—should include only non-disabled adults. I leaned that way myself. I changed my mind. We discovered that the young people push us to use methods closer to the Fede e Luce tradition: mime, craft work, reflection in small groups. And they bring us back, especially in our prayers together, to why we gather to learn in the first place: to grow in wisdom through love, not in love through wisdom. "I thank you, Father, because you have hidden these things from the learned and clever and revealed them to the little ones." — Vito Giannulo