A River of Peace – North
My partner Silvana and I, with don Mauro's help, managed to organize an afternoon at the hydrotherapy pool of the Fondazione don Gnocchi – Centro Peppino Vismara in Milan.
The response was overwhelming. We had so many people wanting to join that we had to schedule shifts in the pool to give everyone—young people, parents, and friends—a chance to enjoy the day fully.
Since this was a rehabilitation facility, we had everything we needed to keep our young people entertained: life rings, rubber tubes, flotation rings, and more. The water temperature, around 33 degrees Celsius, made the whole experience wonderfully comfortable.
Our efforts paid off. The doubts and worries we'd had melted away. Watching the kids laugh, smile, and have real fun—there's no price tag on that. It recharges you completely and pushes you forward. Riding that wave of success, we're already planning another pool afternoon, just like the first one. We're hoping not only our regulars will come back, but also new people who can benefit from such a beautiful opportunity.
First, thanks go to don Mauro, whose guidance made all this possible. Then to our friends and their suggestions. And special thanks to Silvana and me—the two of us who dreamed this up and made it happen, encouraging and supporting each other every step of the way.
Flora and Silvana
Kimata – Central
Why take part in this Jubilee? Is it what we want?
In his bull Misericordiae Vultus, Pope Francis writes: "How I wish that the coming years will be steeped in mercy, so that we can go out to every person bringing the goodness and tenderness of God!" Jean speaks constantly about tenderness. And who better than our young people and their parents to carry a message of tenderness to the world? I remember the Pope's caress for Pippi the day of the audience in Saint Peter's Square. I see Federico's embrace of a man who had scolded him at Mass for making too much noise. I see Filippo shaving Franco under a tree. So many images of tenderness! How blessed and fortunate we were to meet a friend who said to us: "Come on! Please, come! Come on…" At Faith and Light, we try to live tenderness together—with effort, with countless difficulties, because we are always fragile. But it is precisely this fragility, this tenderness, that keeps us together. So let us show it to the world. Let us share it with others. Let us thank the Lord for making us fortunate women and men.
Let us journey forward in this new adventure of the Jubilee of Mercy. On the day for the sick and disabled next June, we will walk with Stefano, our Captain—who worked on this Jubilee to the very end—our communities, our young people, our parents, our friends, our children, our Church.
Pietro Vetro
Sea and Volcanoes – South
I've just returned from a visit to the Basilica where the Holy Tunic is displayed—the one mentioned in John 19:23-24. It made me think about Faith and Light and our communities all over the world. What can I say to our new community, "Petals"?
What makes Faith and Light so special is how we turn dramatic situations into joy.
"Everyone faces deeply difficult human circumstances. But the strength—the spiritual strength we experience in Faith and Light—makes us messengers and missionaries of joy. A joy that draws its source from the Cross. With the help of the Holy Spirit, with the support of friends like Giovanni who take on the mission of being friends to people with disabilities and their families, we are able to change the world!"
These are the words Ghislain wrote to our new community "PETALS" in Scisciano (Naples), which on April 16 was recognized as part of our great Faith and Light family. Years of walking together, guided by the Campania communities, led them to choose Faith and Light as the way of life they wanted to live.
The joy of that celebration was deepened by the presence of a new seed slowly coming to life, also in Campania.
I thank God for giving me the chance to share and experience once again the joy of this multiplication of life!
Carlo Gazzano