From the rubble of war to the wonder of snow: this was the journey of a group of children from Gaza, welcomed to the Veneto region of Italy, thanks to the Padua Embrace Children and Civil Protection association. For many of them, marked by deep wounds in both body and soul, the day spent in Val Saisera, in Northeast Italy, was a rare moment of lightheartedness.
The day, organized by the Associazione Famiglie Nuove del Friuli Venezia Giulia (New Families Association of Friuli Venezia Giulia), was attended by about forty people, mostly women and children. It was a simple event, yet full of meaning: playing in the snow, laughter, tobogganing and a spirit of togetherness that allowed the memories of the war to fade into the background at least for a few hours. On that Sunday in January, the long-awaited snow came almost as a sign of welcome, as if to respond to the children’s desire to be able to see it for the first time.
Many of these children arrived in Italy in 2025 thanks to a humanitarian corridor activated to provide urgent medical care. They included young amputees, children injured by explosions, or suffering from illnesses impossible to treat in a land devastated by conflict. Their families have painful stories: mourning, forced separations and arduous absences. Yet, alongside the suffering emerges an extraordinary capacity for resilience. Nothing captured the spirit of the day quite like the nine-year-old girl who, despite having lost both legs, was all smiles and laughter on the toboggan, eventually finding the strength to join the other girls in a dance.
Imam Kamel Layachi, imam of the Muslim communities of Veneto, who encouraged collaboration between Muslim and Catholic communities was a focal point for the various groups involved. Parishes, associations and volunteers joined forces to offer not only assistance, but also opportunities for integration. The children are already attending school and the mothers are taking Italian courses, in view of a stay that could become longer and open up to employment opportunities.
At the same time, the health needs are urgent, in particular for prosthetic limbs not covered by the National Health Service. For this reason, fund raising initiatives have been launched, with the aim of restoring autonomy and dignity to those who have lost a limb.
The day on the snow ended in Tarvisio (Italy). Welcomed by a group of New Families from the region, by the volunteers of the Friulclown association, by Don Giuseppe Marano, the parish priest of Valbruna and by the tea and biscuits offered by the Alpini – the group moved indoors for lunch (prepared by the Muslim community of the city of Udine) in the parish hall. A shared lunch and a moment of common prayer brought things to a clos. It was a simple but powerful gesture, which united different cultures and faiths under the sign of fraternity. The words of Palestinian families tell better than anything else the meaning of the experience: gratitude, emotion, relief. One mother wrote, “You have allowed happiness to touch our hearts again”.
The Italian volunteers also received much in return: in the eyes of those children they saw pain and joy, fragility and strength and the awareness that, even with small gestures, it is possible to rebuild fragments of humanity. In a world marked by conflict, that day on the snow represented a small, but authentic, space of peace.
From a story by Friuli (Italy) New Families Photo: FN Friuli
I have learnt to laugh at myself; I can be quite ridiculous at times when I feel vulnerable. I am keenly aware of the humour people display at the point of death or in the face of tragedy. I learnt this from the founder of Logotherapy, Viktor Frankl.
What annoys me?
When people fail to understand things that are quite obvious.
The motto of my life?
It is a phrase by Pope Paul VI: “Blessed are these troubled and paradoxical times, which almost compel us to holiness.” It can also be read in a secular sense, that is: these are times that compel us to be people of integrity.
My strength?
I would say it is linked to this motto: I manage to remain calm in moments of crisis. I have a kind of “tragic optimism”.
My weakness?
I’m a bit lazy and I also tend to prejudge situations and people, but I try to be aware of this and convert myself.
What is particularly close to my heart in my new role?
Making institutional relationships more human. Being realistic. And then, not to distance myself from the dynamic of dialogue with anyone, no matter what. Unity with Margaret.
My favourite place?
The simple and poor neighbourhoods of Latin American cities where you can just chat with people, perhaps over a cup of mate [a traditional South American drink]!
Where do I draw my strength from?
I am a down-to-earth, religious, Latin American person. Whenever I can, or when I have a problem to sort out, I go on a pilgrimage to Marian shrines, and I also like to have images of my “patron saints”. In short, I draw strength from prayer and from spending time with friends. I would like to always have time for them.
A good night’s sleep is also good for me! Everything seems possible in the morning.
What worries me?
That our charism is not understood in all its fullness, and so I worry whether we will be able to free it from the sin of “domination” and inauthenticity that has tainted our relationships.
Roberto Almada, born in 1956 in Rosario, Argentina, is the new Co-President of the Focolare Movement. He studied medicine and is a specialist in psychiatry. He also holds a doctorate in philosophy and is co-founder of the School of Logotherapy in Uruguay and Paraguay. He got to know the Focolare Movement in 1976. He has lived in Focolare communities for many years, including in Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and at the International Centre in Rocca di Papa. Roberto Almada is the author of the book “Il burnout del buon samaritano” [The Burnout of the Good Samaritan].
On 22 April, around thirty leaders from global Christian Churches and organisations visited the International Centre of the Focolare Movement in Rocca di Papa. The visit formed part of the programme of the annual meeting of the International Committee of the Global Christian Forum (GCF), which had taken place in Rome in these days, and provided a meaningful opportunity for mutual understanding and ecumenical dialogue.
The encounter offered an opportunity to explore more deeply the history, charism and commitment of the Focolare Movement to Christian unity. Following an introductory presentation, an intense and engaged dialogue unfolded, characterised by numerous questions and reflections. At the conclusion of the meeting, Margaret Karram, Presidente of the Focolare Movement, offered a brief greeting and shared personal testimony, which deeply resonated with those present.
Members of the Committee expressed their gratitude for the warm welcome and for the light that emerged from the encounter. Commissioner Jane Paone of the International Salvation Army commented: “For me it was a very ‘vibrational’ experience: I was touched by the joy and the hospitality.” Dr Hanns Lessing, representative of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, shared: “I was touched by how the Gospel commandment,“’Love your neighbour as yourself’, can today be understood as an invitation to love the other ecclesial community as one’s own.” Prof. Dirk Lange of the Lutheran World Federation highlighted the deep connection between the stories shared and the identity of the Global Christian Forum: “The faith stories of Chiara Lubich and Margaret Karram brought us to the very heart of the GCF: building relationships through self-giving, in the trust that God always provides. God’s love is at the centre, and mutual love unites.”
Participants at the annual meeting of the International Committee of the Global Christian Forum
Founded in 1998 at the initiative of the World Council of Churches, during the term of the then General Secretary Dr Konrad Raiser, the Global Christian Forum is a unique ecumenical space that brings together all the major currents of world Christianity, including Pentecostal and Free Churches. Its distinctive charism lies in the sharing of personal faith stories as a privileged path for building relationships, overcoming historical divisions and promoting unity in diversity. As Dr David Wells of the Pentecostal World Fellowship emphasised in recent days: “The GCF fosters a dialogue that does not begin with doctrinal or political positions, but with people.”
The International Committee, composed of around thirty church leaders – including the Focolare Movement from 2026 onwards – reflected on future challenges in a world marked by growing polarisation, a reality that also affects the Churches themselves. A central question emerged: how can we be reconcilers today?
It became clear to all that the GCF occupies a unique place within the ecumenical landscape. As David Wells added, using a powerful metaphor: “The GCF is like a fertiliser: it works beneath the surface. It is not always immediately visible, but in time its fruits emerge, oriented towards visible unity.”
A strong sense of harmony thus emerged between the goal and the dialogical approach of the Global Christian Forum and the charism and the dialogue of life of the Focolare Movement, opening hopeful perspectives for future collaboration on the journey towards the unity of the Church and of the whole human family.
“We should have the courage to reach out to one another, the courage to come together.
This is not simply a motto for the United World Week, but a choice we all make every day. And if we do so, it becomes a path to peace.”
Margaret Karram and Roberto Almada, President and Co-President of the Focolare Movement, through a brief chat, encourage us to approach dialogue with determination and to choose it in a practical way in our daily lives.
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