A River of Peace – North
A look at what has unfolded in the Province since Alicante, where the young people gathered in Spain. Because that encounter has set something in motion here. The National Assembly in Eupilio heard from Sara, Martina, Arianna, and Daniela—four young women who lived through the experience in Spain—as they spoke about the beauty and energy of that gathering and how it changed their lives. The Lombardy communities who came to celebrate heard their testimony too.
After gatherings in October in Milan and Turin, where we entrusted ourselves to "Come and dwell in us," Don Massimiliano came to Milan in November. He is a priest from Brunico. Intense days of formation for the young people from Trentino, enriched by the presence of Sister Camelia from Galilee and Don Marco Bove at Sacra Familia.
The thirtieth anniversary of the Rho community again featured Daniela, back from Alicante, who drew the children of friends into helping animate the celebration. Small seeds, but…
Liliana Ghiringhelli
Kimata – Central
One of the major developments for Kimata this year is undoubtedly the birth of several community seedlings in Albania. Last year there had been early contacts between our provincial assistant, Father Theodoros Kodidis from Greece, and some families in Tirana, as well as connections through L'Arche in Brittany, which also had ties in Tirana.
From that first gathering in Tirana in April—with Pietro Vetro and our vice-coordinator for Mission work, Daniela Guglietta—there have been further meetings and gatherings that I have attended personally, with great joy and a spirit of sharing. The most recent was their Christmas gathering on December 16. With each encounter, bonds have deepened within the community and with other Kimata communities, through participation in summer camps and formation weekends.
Albania is the natural bridge within Kimata between the Italian communities and those of Greece and Cyprus. Kimata's commitment to multiculturalism and ecumenism finds its natural fulfillment here. In the emerging Albanian communities, Catholics, Muslims, and Protestants live together peacefully. What appears on the surface to be fragility is actually a great gift for the Albanian communities—a model of coexistence and of living Faith and Light that is valid for everyone.
Fabio Bronzini
Sea and Volcanoes – South
The Province's life during this time has been marked by the renewal of leadership teams and coordinators in various communities. At Faith and Light, thank goodness, we have never wrestled with the problem of "gender quotas." We know well that mothers and women friends are often the engine behind everything. And so in Messina, in the Edelweiss community, and in Monopoli, in the Perfetta Letizia community, the new leaders are women—two pairs: friends in the first case (Emilia and Sandra), mother and daughter in the other (Marilena and Francesca).
The idea of sharing responsibility is hardly new to Faith and Light. In the past it was used almost exclusively by married couples, but in recent years it has taken different forms. I like this approach. From a practical and human point of view, it cuts the fears and demands that leadership carries—literally cuts them in half. But there is also the memory of the Gospel mission: "He sent them out two by two" (Luke 10:1). It is an eternal and constant call to weigh opinions together and to recognize which of the two is better suited to handle a particular situation. It is also a chance to build friendships so deep that an experience like guiding a community can strengthen them forever.
Vito Giannulo