A River of Peace — North
On October 20th, the Lombardy communities kicked off their year with a celebration. Our hosts were the friends at Gratosoglio and the warmhearted don Mauro. What a gift! We gathered around the theme "Living stones, like you, are being built into a spiritual house" — and each of our names appeared on a drawn piece of fruit. Coming together is always a great feast. The joy of seeing faces that are part of our story does something essential: it keeps you from feeling alone, even when circumstances are hard.
After coordinator Angela and Mauro introduced us, what a moment it was to hear Jean Vanier's voice in a video recorded at Leeds. He invited each of us to become a founder of Faith and Light. The testimony of Roberto and Angelo from the Veneto gave us a taste of Leeds: a few words, and the joy in their eyes moved and delighted everyone. On the hall wall stood a house — the house of Faith and Light, built on rock. Each person was invited to place a stone, a sign of belonging to our communities, walking together for forty years now. In our small groups, we asked ourselves: What fruit does the Spirit ask of a community today? How can we step out of our shells, open ourselves to others, make ourselves known? What kind of Faith and Light do we want for the future? During mass, celebrated by don Mauro, we shared our work: we want to carry forward that gentle but persistent voice which has touched and shaped each of our lives. In the final photos, our faces became the fruit hanging from the tree in the garden of Faith and Light — the garden of life itself.
Paolina (Rho)
Kimata — Center
Another year has begun. Where now are Nemo and his friends from the reef, the Mad Hatter and Alice with her wonders, the beaches of Ayia Napa in Cyprus and the mountains of Trentino, the Children of Peace, Love, and Freedom? Where are the Little Mermaid and the clowns Faithful and Shining? The joy from those days carries us toward the cold winter ahead; the warmth, the smiles, the moments we shared, the prayers and songs under the moon — they are part of all of us now. Here we are again on the road, with a bit more effort this time. Like an aging engine, we're getting ourselves going. All the communities are beginning to meet again, some of them in style. The Road of Perugia community went to Assisi for the gathering with Pope Francis on October 4th, joined by friends from Rome, Parma, and Fidenza — two days, exhausting and full of grace. We have things ahead: a new vice coordinator, new elections in some communities, a longer journey for others, more shared participation. In Greece, our two Athens communities are moving toward new elections. The Kimata boat has a crew with plenty of experience, many a bit weary, but never discouraged. I think of the children of our "old friends" — they could be an instrument of renewal. We were given the gift of encounter with the other, of belonging to a community that had and has at its center the smallest ones, the chance to grow by learning the simplicity of love. Now this inheritance is no longer just ours. We must share it.
Stefano Di Franco
Sea and Volcanoes — South
On June 1st, the Messina community "Edelweiss" staged "The Adventures of Pinocchio" for the 2013 gathering. The entire production came alive through live singing and music, thanks to the help of the local parish scout group. The success was remarkable, but it took commitment from everyone.
Our young people played all of Pinocchio's characters, each accompanied onstage by a friend — as if that friend were the character's soul. Other friends, backstage, gave voice to the characters. We chose this approach partly because of the difficulty our young people have remembering lines, and partly to carry forward Faith and Light's message: the young person at the center, the friend who accompanies and supports him, and the parent "in the shadows," sustained by the community and sustaining the community. And then came the final scene, when Pinocchio becomes a real boy. A young man played Pinocchio looking in the mirror, embracing his reflection — played by a friend. They switched places, showing that in true friendship there are no differences, only a love that makes it solid and true.
The emotion touched everyone. It taught us that we must always move forward despite difficulties, and that we must dare — so we discover that entrusting ourselves to God makes all things possible. It showed us how to grow, renew ourselves, and find fresh strength for our communities.
Carlo