Booked and Vaccinated
Dear friends, I'm happy to write that on May 11th I got vaccinated! In my left arm, and everything went smoothly. That evening, before bed, I took a paracetamol tablet and slept well. The next day, the pain was gone. I'm hoping to take a vacation with my sister in Puglia in July. If she's working, we'll stay in Rome instead, and I hope we can meet up with Fede e Luce and go to their summer camps. Keeping a meter apart and always wearing our masks. The second vaccination was scheduled for June 1st but they moved it to June 15th. I had the Pfizer shot. My sister booked it on the Lazio region's website the night they opened up my age group. On the day of vaccination I was a bit nervous because I was somewhat afraid, but everything turned out fine.
Celebrating Across the World
Dear Editors, I'm sending you a brief, but heartfelt, reflection after having "lived through," together with you, the Easter triduum celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Fede e Luce's founding.
The organizers did tremendous preparatory work and showed remarkable dedication to bring the program to life online. Circumstances forced us to replace our planned in-person gathering in Lourdes. I had been honored to serve as the representative from the Lombardy region. I tried to follow along as closely as I could, using the printed booklet prepared for the occasion, and I came away thinking that more could hardly have been done, or done better.
Still, I felt sad not being able to attend in person, alongside my son Francesco, to take part in the meetings and prayers. This difficult, long period of isolation and fear continues. How much our hearts and minds needed to embrace one another, to sustain each other!
What moved me most was the connection on April 1st. Watching faces materialize on the screen—the names, voices, nationalities of guests from so many countries and corners of the world—it was an unforgettable sight. The new song created for the occasion, Celebrating Across the World, sung by nearly all the participants, underscored the joy radiating from that screen. I have no doubt: we will continue walking forward together, holding each other up, knowing that Fede e Luce endures because it is a blessing from the Lord.