A River of Peace – North
In early November, the province held a formation gathering in Castellammare di Stabia (see p. 24). As we prepared these days, our team faced a question: whom should we invite from each community? Should we limit invitations to our most experienced members, or also welcome newcomers making their first visit?
On one hand, we needed to move beyond Faith and Light basics—otherwise there would be no time for deeper topics. On the other, we knew that when communities open their doors to one another, when people from different regions meet and share everything together, those moments are so precious they win over anyone encountering us for the first time. We decided not to set rigid boundaries, and the choice bore fruit: new friends, fresh enthusiasm, new perspectives.
We hope the coming year will be one of opening ourselves to countless new possibilities. One beautiful development is already here, from Campania: thanks especially to Faith and Light's efforts, for the first time in the history of the Church in Naples, on Disability Awareness Day—December 2nd—the solemn Mass in the Cathedral was celebrated also in sign language.
Liliana Ghiringhelli
Kimata – Center
I first met Marco shortly after I became Provincial Coordinator for Kimata. He had just been named Director of Il Chicco, the Arca community in Rome. I had been with Faith and Light for about fifteen years; he had been at Il Chicco for just over one.
We knew there had been tensions between Arca and Faith and Light in the past. But the first thing we said to each other was: "We don't know what happened, and we don't care."
From that simple—even blunt—statement, a shared journey began: small steps, friendship, life lived together. Il Chicco joined our celebrations; we attended their anniversaries and confirmations. We visited other Arca communities in Bologna and Cagliari. We built a relationship with the Callou Blanc community in Brittany. We organized the Jubilee of People with Disabilities, presenting ourselves together at a shared booth in Castel Sant'Angelo.
This relationship has given us unforgettable gifts: a papal visit to Il Chicco; the birth of new communities in Terni and Tirana. An international Arca leader once told me that the friendship between Kimata and Il Chicco was an example for everyone. Certainly, through this bond we have all grown, walking in the footsteps of our shared founder, Jean Vanier, who wrote: "What matters is to create bonds and discover that this bond changes me and opens me up."
Fabio Bronzini
Sea and Volcanoes – South
This autumn, our Opening Celebrations were shaped by events in Fano and Lebanon. The Galilee communities celebrated together; at San Giuseppe della Pace, young people from our province who had been in Fano shared their experience; in Turin we gathered with the community from Briançon in France, along with Maria, a young woman from Fano, who made our celebration richer.
International bonds are now a reality—the French have invited us to France next year. Knowing that Faith and Light is international, we find it easier to appreciate the richness of having the Galilee communities. Rich, yes—but also demanding. Through the bonds we forge across difference, we can be renewed. New things can grow from encounters between our young people and the Galilee youth.
The young people who went to Fano began participating more actively in community life. And the communities began paying closer attention to the young people who come to us—regularly or occasionally. Jesus calls to Faith and Light, and that calling needs to be accompanied.
Let us not forget the tables of Announcement and Sharing we saw on Facebook. In short, the year began beautifully here at A River of Peace.
Vito Giannulo