A River of Peace – North
In April, at the Marian shrine of Oropa, our communities gathered to pray, give thanks, celebrate, and elect new leadership. Jesus' words guided us: "How many loaves do you have? Go and see."
Here is the Lord's challenge to us: faced with disciples bewildered by a task far too large for them—feeding thousands—he asks with incredible tenderness: how many loaves do you have? Go and see. It is Jesus asking. You have little; very well, let's start there. When we are invited to look at what we possess, however modest, we learn that placed in his hands it becomes abundant. We must live this with great peace and great calm. The washing of feet prepared our hearts, and the Spirit rose with us in dances led by the Galilee community. Jesus' call becomes the story of my own life. I am asked to discern, to make myself available. "But me? I am a mother, a wife, a social worker." I surrender. And so—here I am, a new coordinator! OL
Kimata – Center
A Faith and Light summer camp is a deeply special time. A school of love. A school of life. A school of vacation. Yes, because you learn even on holiday without desks and textbooks. A school where we bring our stories together, our character, our very selves. Planning, organizing, packing to leave can be hard work—but at the end of camp, everyone grieves having to go home. In the Kimata province this year we held six camps, and they brought back old friends: people who had drifted away from Faith and Light for years but returned to feel that magical camp atmosphere again, to guide the new generation coming up, to challenge themselves anew. It was also the year of our teenage friends. Their spirited, lighthearted presence and their "young seriousness" gave us fresh strength, hope, and courage to continue. Everyone learns from everyone else; everyone teaches; everyone adds their ingredient to the good stew that makes up a camp. I would say the teenagers this year were the hot pepper, and our "wise and seasoned" friends were the parmesan. When a young mother told us she never imagined her daughter could go to camp and do all these things—well, then I'd say we all won: the mother, the daughter, the friend, the whole camp. It was worth it.
Sea and Volcanoes – South
The biggest news for Sea and Volcanoes lately is my election as coordinator in early June at Castellammare di Stabia. Well, here is what is beautiful about Faith and Light: we all know that statement is not really what matters. Our young people care little whether it's Carlo or Vito. What their parents care about is that we love them and their children and that we are friends in truth, not just in words ("not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord'…"). Long live Faith and Light, where the "first of all" is truly the "servant of all"—and what immense joy I have found in this service: discovering the rich world of Sicily, reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones in Campania, returning to work in my own Puglia. Along with the joys, of course, come the worries: we have not yet found vice-coordinators for Sicily and Puglia-Basilicata. Taking on responsibility can be frightening. But all things come in their time. Lucia Casella and I are working on it, and though I have no certain news, I truly believe the Spirit is working too.