River of Peace - North
A dream. The kind we hope can come true. For us at River of Peace, it's this: a pilgrimage to Galilee in the first months of 2014, with a journey to Jerusalem as well, so we can make real the wish of our community in Eilaboun to elect its first coordinator.
We dream of it, we hope for it, even as the sounds of war grow louder. We don't know if or when we'll manage it, but the commitment is strong—thanks above all to Sister Camelia, who from Israel keeps close ties with us and with the sisters who may host us in Nazareth.
Meanwhile, the communities across northern Italy have resumed their work after summer camp. Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta will celebrate their new year gathering on October 13 in Aosta. Lombardy 1 and 2 will meet on October 20 in Milan, at the Vismara Center, to "continue the adventure" following the Carnet. In the Veneto region, the Rays of Sunshine held a beautiful mountain camp during the week of Ferragosto. Feltre moves forward with joy, and in Abano we try to look ahead with hope.
Angela Grassi
Kimata - Center
I want to tell you about the provincial assembly held in Bassano Romano from June 28 to 30, where we elected a new provincial coordinator. Delegates from our communities gathered there—coordinators, members, many coming from Greece and Cyprus—all brimming with enthusiasm. There was also Father Michalis's beard towering above us all, reminding us of the affection that flows between our three countries, so different yet now so united.
We had a coordinator to elect, yes. But more than that, we wanted to meet and be together. Among the many moments we shared around the theme "God uses contrary winds to guide us to harbor," I'll dwell on two times of reflection. In the first, Saint Francis stands before the San Damiano crucifix, and each Kimata community offers him small bricks to "care for the Church"—just as each person in community, in their own way, cares for one another. The second reflection, organized by our Greek-speaking communities, was on "the miraculous catch," intense and deeply moving, unfolding in the night on the steps of the Monastery church that welcomed us.
Saturday's discernment was beautiful, profound, and touching. It reconfirmed me as coordinator. I hope, with the affection, courage, and support that flows from all of Kimata, to walk still further—always as small workers called into the Lord's vineyard.
Stefano Di Franco
Sea and Volcanoes - South
The Sprouting community, rooted in the Eucharistic Sacred Heart parish in Cardito (Naples), celebrated its tenth anniversary with a Mass led by Pastor Don Marco Miele alongside Vicar General Don Franco Picone.
It was an important moment, and we share it in the words of its young coordinator Gaetano: "Thank you, Don Marco, for giving us the chance to celebrate this feast, which represents for us a moment of grace. Your presence is quiet but precious. You are a young Father who gives himself for the good of your children. There is still much road ahead for us to walk together, and I am thrilled at the thought of growing together and being, together, the voice of the smallest and the weakest.
Thank you, Reverend Father, for answering our call. Your presence is a great encouragement to the Sprouting community, and it confirms once again that people with disabilities are in the heart and at the center of the Church.
These ten years have been a difficult road for us, but always joyful—and that is the miracle of Faith and Light. I hope the Lord has also planted a seed of hope for our Diocese, a seed that, as it grows, will defeat loneliness, marginalization, and sadness, and lighten a cross that cannot be carried alone." (continued at www.ombreeluci.it!)
Carlo