A Journey to Belgium
ON SUNDAY, JUNE 6, Maria Luce Biondi packed her bags and set off for Belgium. Some friends came to see her off at Fiumicino; others were waiting when she landed in Brussels.
Her first letters have already arrived, and they overflow with joy, enthusiasm, and wonder on every page.
She is staying with the Minò family, but spends much of her day at the Toit with Father Roberti and the other friends of Fede e Luce. Soon she will begin volunteering at Dr. Yass's center for spastic children.
In the coming weeks, she will share what she has seen and done, bringing us the wisdom of someone already living in a community where there is no difference between disabled and able-bodied, where everyone recognizes that we all are limited—whether in body, heart, or mind—and showing us something of the love she has discovered there.
— Lucia Pennisi, 1976
Four Days of Joy and Inclusion at Grottaferrata
About eighty people gathered at the home of Signora Balmas in Grottaferrata. At the end of that friendly meeting, someone posed a question: "Who among us would agree to come back here for three or four days, to spend time in joy and friendship?"
Several said yes. So twenty of us spent four days in Grottaferrata, from June 26 to 29.
We did everything together: cooking, washing dishes, setting the table, playing games, doing small chores, praying. True integration—everyone with everyone.
Some learned to do what the grown-ups do. Others rediscovered their childhood hearts. All of us came to see that joy is possible when we live as a fraternal community.
"Each of Us Needs Tenderness"
We find this tenderness first in our own families, where bonds of blood unite us.
But some families are broken, worn out, exhausted, or gone. That is when we need small communities bound not by blood but by the ties of the heart.
With this in mind, from July 7 to 27, we will hold a communal living experience at ALFEDENA—in the home of a friend of Fede e Luce. We will have three sessions, each with about twenty people.
We have not announced this widely, because it is an experiment and we wanted to move carefully to ensure it works well for everyone.
We hope this stay, which directly involves only some of us, will be a sign of hope for all: we want to show that a third way exists between family and hospital—the small community.
On behalf of all the young people and friends who will help us, I want to thank the families who trust us with their loved ones, making this project possible.
— Michel Charpentier, 1976
Upcoming Initiatives
From July 10 to 20, Lucetta Battilani and Francesca Bertolini from Parma will stay at Jean Vanier's L'Arche. In early September, also at L'Arche, Marino Blasotti, Maria Grazie Pennisi, and Cecilia Baldi from Rome will visit. We hope to report on other summer initiatives in our next issue.