Ivana and Matteo
Matteo Mazzarotto and Ivana Perri, from the Community "Il Carro," were married on July 2, 1994, in Rome (1).
It is certain that all of Faith and Light participated in spirit in Matteo and Ivana's joy on their wedding day. But for those of us who were there, that day was a gift—a powerful moment in our individual and communal lives.
Each of us experienced it in our own way, but it was impossible not to feel that worries and burdens had been set aside and that joy and a sense of unity prevailed over everything. This feeling found its center in Ivana and Matteo, standing there before the altar, as they declared their mutual affection, their commitment, and their readiness to give themselves and to give to others. How could we not feel deeply with them that desire "to share in a fuller and more complete way the daily effort to build the Kingdom that Ivana and Matteo had spoken of through their marriage?" And we were there to affirm it with them and to be its witnesses. On behalf of all the true witnesses: Ivana's sister, Matteo's brother, and Mimmo and Lina. Mimmo is a disabled person who has lived at Il Carro for three years now, and it was with difficulty but with such joyful pride that he signed his name in the great parish register that day. Lina has been part of Faith and Light for almost twenty years and is the mother of Roberto, a young man with very challenging behavior to whom Matteo is deeply attached.
The Eucharist was concelebrated by Father Pierre Deberger, who has known Faith and Light since his seminary days, by Don Vito Palmisano, and by Father Paul Gilbert, the national and regional assistant of the movement.
I will never forget the moment of the reading of the Gospel of the Beatitudes, the prayers, and in particular that so intense one in which Gianni Mazzarotto remembered Ivana's father. I will not forget the solemn music of the organ played by the groom's brother, the choir of friends, Matteo and Ivana singing "On Eagles' Wings" together with the whole choir.
Such emotion and joy could only explode into a great celebration. Matteo and Ivana had organized it at Il Carro and thought through every detail. Some friends had joined the couple in preparing dinner for 250 people. Groups formed to organize the entertainment, the small orchestra, the dancing, the table service, and the beverages. Then songs came spontaneously from the various tables.
One of the most moving moments of the day for me was the arrival at Il Carro, after Mass. On the balcony hung a large decorated sheet with the words "Congratulations to Ivana and Matteo" written on it; white ribbons decorated the bushes along the path, flowers filled the pots, the large parking lot was well organized with lighting and a volunteer attendant, the rooms were festive, a tent stood on the lawn, tables were set with white and blue flowers—everything spoke of the sensitivity and affection of the friends and young people of the Community.
Now when I think of those congratulations fluttering in the warm July air, welcoming Ivana and Matteo and all of us into the joy of being together on such a happy day, I feel profoundly that there was the whole spirit of Faith and Light: parents, disabled young people, and friends who love one another, who work with seriousness and commitment, giving the best of themselves, and who are rich in a heart that can forget the struggles and difficulties of daily life to live, in the joy of encounter, the gift of self that lies on the path of the Beatitudes.
(1) Matteo was the national secretary of Faith and Light. Il Carro is a small residential community where disabled young people and their companions live together.
— Natalia Livi, 1994
We Accept One Another as We Are
Raffaella, a widow and mother of two children, one of them Mattia, age 14, shown in the photo, wrote this text for the Spring Festival in Parma. Due to time constraints, she was unable to read it aloud. We are pleased to publish it because it helps us to reflect.
In this time we have before Mass, let us consider together what Faith and Light gave us the first time we encountered it; what moved us to keep coming back, and what it offers us now—and also what improvements it would be good to make or what mistakes to avoid.
We are here certainly to forget our problems and suffering, but we are here to live through them together, to learn to know one another, to share what we experience, to help each other discover that beyond difficulty and suffering there can be hope and peace if we are surrounded by an atmosphere of welcome, love, and deep unity. Not superficiality, but genuine motivation that comes from the heart and reaches the heart. I first encountered Faith and Light about five years ago, by chance I would say. A group, "Friends Together," having made contact with the pastor of our parish, had been invited to come one Sunday. No one had ever mentioned Faith and Light to me, and I knew no one in the group. I went out of curiosity and with little conviction about what I would find.
The welcome I received immediately from people who had never seen me before was something beautiful, entirely new and unexpected. The warmth they showed me right away truly warmed my heart. There were no barriers or problems that we often create for ourselves as individuals, beyond the issue of disability itself—questions like: should I greet them first or will they greet me? Am I dressed well enough? and so on. Outer rules that often condition us in the environments we frequent. But beyond all that, and far more important, I was certain that there my son was accepted, appreciated, and loved for who he is and what he is.
The anxiety and distress I had felt before when I had to bring him into new environments, the painful question: will he behave well? how will they accept him? the suffering that wounded me deeply when I realized he was merely tolerated rather than truly accepted and loved—all of that gave way to peace and calm. For the first time, my son, whom I had seen as a reason for isolation from others, as an obstacle to living a normal life with ordinary social relationships, became instead a point of connection with others. He was no longer the "different" one who made you feel like a different family, a marginalized one. But through him, you had the gift of living friendship, love, and solidarity in the most authentic, true, and profound way, of enjoying life despite everything, in being together, in celebrating together. All this gave me new strength to face whatever life had in store.
The problem in our group today, I believe, is the lack of young people, young couples. And I think the reason is connected to the commitment required—not so much organizational, but the commitment to look within yourself, to draw out and express what you feel. It is demanding, but it helps you grow, mature, and fulfills you. As for who Bishop Lacroix was for us—a verse from the book of Samuel (13, 14) comes to mind: "The Lord has sought for himself a man after his own heart and appointed him to be leader of his people."
Bishop Lacroix's heart was immense, so large that each of us felt fully welcomed and at ease with him. We always found in him a deep listening and true wisdom to illuminate the conflicts, fears, and questions we encountered.
He did not lack humor. I like to think that when the doctors opened his heart, the Lord intervened saying: "Do not try to fix anything... The heart of Fernand Lacroix is ready to go home and dwell with Me forever!"
Now, in sorrow but also in complete trust, we pray for him and we ask him to pray for Faith and Light, certain that in him we have a protector full of tenderness and strength."
— Raffaella, 1994
Farewell, Bishop Friend!
Bishop Fernand Lacroix left us for our Father's house on February 28, after undergoing heart surgery. Already bishop of Edmundston in Canada, Bishop Lacroix agreed to serve as international assistant to our movement in 1987. From then on he was our good shepherd both in the International Council and alongside the spiritual assistants—present to all of us, each one of us, during international gatherings, spiritual retreats, and pilgrimages.
All of us can say we encountered in him "a priest after the Heart of Jesus," as Father Sef of Slovenia said of him.
Maureen O'Reilly, international coordinator, remembers him this way:
"How can we say who Bishop Lacroix was for us? A verse from the book of Samuel (13, 14) comes to mind: 'The Lord has sought for himself a man after his own heart and appointed him to be leader of his people.'
Bishop Lacroix's heart was immense, so large that each of us felt fully welcomed and at ease with him. We always found in him a deep listening and true wisdom to illuminate the conflicts, fears, and questions we encountered.
He did not lack humor. I like to think that when the doctors opened his heart, the Lord intervened saying: 'Do not try to fix anything... The heart of Fernand Lacroix is ready to go home and dwell with Me forever!'
Now, in sorrow but also in complete trust, we pray for him and we ask him to pray for Faith and Light, certain that in him we have a protector full of tenderness and strength."
Special Issue on Activities and Songs
Following the issue of Ombre e Luci devoted to games, which many have appreciated and are using, we want to prepare an issue on "Activities and Songs." Begin now to gather material and make notes, drawings, and photographs of your experiences and discoveries in this area. Think especially of activities linked to catechesis and various "celebrations," to communal prayer, to religious formation activities in our gatherings, to entertainment for groups, and to work in workshops.