A River of Peace – North
In 2012, the Catechetical Office for people with disabilities in the Diocese of Bari launched an initiative that opened new doors for Faith and Light. The diocesan team invited parish communities to identify people willing to work together in teams and deepen their formation. The project, "Educate Ourselves to Educate," offered monthly meetings on a vital question: how do we welcome a child with special needs into ordinary catechesis? The conversations ranged widely—the role of community, the importance of family, how parish movements serve one another, and much more. For Faith and Light, Fr. Vito Palmisano spoke on community and family. Now we are working through a more practical phase, meeting in small groups to test out what we have learned. This initiative confirms our path forward. It makes our shared mission real. It widens our horizon to the universality of Christ's message and our belonging to the same Body—the Church—where diversity is our wealth, where fragilities lived together become strength, where the genius of the Holy Spirit sustains and guides us, and where God's mercy reaches all, especially the smallest among us.
Luisa
Kimata – Center
From April 25 to 27, communities from Emilia and Tuscany gathered in Marina di Massa for a weekend of formation and to elect a new coordinator. Our theme was: "Accompanied to Accompany." Fr. Demetrio walked with us the entire time, and his presence was a gift. Walking toward Emmaus with him was beautiful. The story of those two disciples never stops speaking to us. Each time we hear it, we find ourselves facing our own lives, wanting to talk not just about spiritual things but about what we actually live through day by day. We took time for small-group conversations in the park under the spring sun, and this nourished many of us deeply. The Emilia-Tuscany region has chosen to continue working together as a team for another year. We asked Luciano, whose generosity never wavers, to stay on as coordinator. A prayer from Don Primo Mazzolari, "We Are Called to Commit Ourselves," accompanied us throughout these days. I want to share it with all of you, because it is a wish for our Kimata communities: that we continue to trust in love, because love is what allows us to be who we are.
Stefano
Sea and Volcanoes – South
In 2012, the Catechetical Office for people with disabilities in the Diocese of Bari launched an initiative that opened new doors for Faith and Light. The diocesan team invited parish communities to identify people willing to work together in teams and deepen their formation. The project, "Educate Ourselves to Educate," offered monthly meetings on a vital question: how do we welcome a child with special needs into ordinary catechesis? The conversations ranged widely—the role of community, the importance of family, how parish movements serve one another, and much more. For Faith and Light, Fr. Vito Palmisano spoke on community and family. Now we are working through a more practical phase, meeting in small groups to test out what we have learned. This initiative confirms our path forward. It makes our shared mission real. It widens our horizon to the universality of Christ's message and our belonging to the same Body—the Church—where diversity is our wealth, where fragilities lived together become strength, where the genius of the Holy Spirit sustains and guides us, and where God's mercy reaches all, especially the smallest among us.
Luisa