Gen Rosso visits young prisoners

An afternoon of hope and joy with the boys of the juvenile detention centre in Rome (Italy)

Casal del Marmo, northwest suburb of Rome, Italy. The district is famous for the presence of a juvenile detention centre that houses boys from various parts of Italy, many of whom are foreigners.

On the occasion of the Street Mission “Live for something great”, organized by several Associations and Communities including the Focolare Movement, Gen Rosso visited the institute to find about forty boys waiting for them. However, the first unexpected reaction was quite cold.

Most of them speak Arabic. But Lito, a young friend of Gen Rosso, an excellent DJ, is Egyptian and speaks their language. He began to translate. They didn’t expect this. The atmosphere began to thaw with the help of the music. Time flew: rhythm, songs, applause and deep reflection. Tearful eyes, sincere smiles. The simplicity of a different kind of afternoon within those walls.

Gen Rosso managed to convey a message of hope, also drawing on some interventions by Pope Francis. “Even if you make mistakes, you can always get up and start over, for no one has the right to rob you of hope”. These are the words of the Pope when in 2019 he met young people on his apostolic journey to Bulgaria and North Macedonia. He began by saying, “Dreams help us to keep alive the certainty of knowing that another world is possible (…). The most beautiful dreams can be achieved with hope, patience and commitment…”

These words resonated in the juvenile institution. Then came the time to dream with open eyes. Helanio took over. He took the microphone: “We know that some of you sing…” Three young rappers jumped up. They spoke briefly to Ygor on percussion and Juan Francisco on guitar and a beat began, an improvised rhythm. The three boys, then became four and alternated with improvised verses in Arabic, French, Italian and again in Arabic.

The audience went wild and clapped their hands to the beat. Then together, Gen Rosso and the rappers for the grand finale. Everyone was involved: prison guards, detainees, management. The visitors who organized the initiative also joined in the dancing: New Horizons, Focolare, Emmanuel Community, Fazenda de Esperanza Community, Shalom, Casa Do Menor, Belem Mission, the Easter Morning Sentinels, Lumen Community, Anspaz Community, in synergy with the Diocese of Rome. Hope exists and so do the talents of these young people.

Dr. Maria Vittoria Menenti, Director of the Institute took the mike and thanked the youth of the juvenile institution and Gen Rosso, with the hope that such an event can happen again.

The time flew. We had to leave. Farewells with handshakes, hugs, pats on the back, big smiles. Come back soon!

Leaving, many were thinking of Gospel phrase, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I will be among them” (Mt. 18:20) – when you try to love each other, the presence of God makes wonderful things happen. Even more so when you experience it in a place like this, full of suffering, anger, despair, but also and above all hope.

The boys went back to their cells. Gen Rosso began a new journey. Everyone carried something profound with them: all strongly recharged by the same inexhaustible source of joy and hope.

Lorenzo Russo