Oct 22, 2016 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
The first initiative of the Evangelii Gaudium Centre, created in Loppiano (Florence) to become the “Church that goes out,” is a qualification course in collaboration with the Sophia University Institute entitled, “Wake up the world.” This compelling slogan describes precisely Consecrated Life that will “Wake up the world,” in which consecrated persons with their radical choice of life, concur to restore true fraternity and communion in the world. It is the story of Fr. Antonio Guiotto in Sierra Leone: a Xaverian missionary. He had adhered to the spirituality of the Focolare ever since he was a student, and is now celebrating his 50th anniversary of priesthood, most of which was spent in the African country, and out of which around ten years (1991 to 2001) were in the frontline of a terrible civil war which terrorized and devastated Sierra Leone. And though like other foreigners he could have returned home, Fr. Antonio decided to remain in Kabala to share with its people all the events, helping them to continue believing in God’s immense love, despite everything. Very soon, he and Fr. Carlo, a congregation brother who also lived the Focolare spirit, created a small group that tried to live the Gospel and share their life experiences: a flicker of hope that lit up amid so much hatred and violence. But also Kabala was invaded by the rebels, and so the two religious – foreigners, and easy prey to kidnappers – took refuge in the woods. Despite the dangers, his people helped them with food and water, and in turn were supported by the light and hope which the two religious instilled in all. When there was no longer any imminent danger, they opened their homes since the missionary house had been completely destroyed. The family that hosted them shared the little they had, and the two religious gave a hand in the house and with the children. After a month, the couple asked to become Christians and for the children to be baptized. In the meantime, however, the situation started to worsen again. Squads of rebels roamed all over Sierra Leone and the two Fathers had to move to Freetown. It was a forced transfer which became an occasion to sow the Gospel also in the capital. In 2000, an attempted coup d’etat further put their lives at risk, so much so that the Italian Ambassador decided to transfer them immediately to Guinea on a small plane. Despite these adversities, the spirituality of the Focolare transmitted with their lives, progressed in great leaps. The minute they could, a three-day Mariapolis was organized with 170 people, among which was also the Bishop of Makeni. «I can truthfully affirm – wrote Fr. Antonio – that the promise of Jesus that “Whoever has left their home, brothers and sisters, father or mother, children or field in my name, will receive the hundred fold,” had fully come true. In my mission I found that fathers, mothers, brothers and the hundredfold in this life was a deposit for that which would come. New Christians were born, many couples were married in church, and new Focolare communities arose in Freetown, Makeni, Kamabai, Kabala, and also in the remote villages. New churches and Catholic schools were built. After a period passed in Italy, the Lord has now granted me the grace to return to my beloved Sierra Leone to continue to give my life for my people.» From October 2016 to March h 2017, the course of the Evangelii Gaudium Centre addressing educators, tutors and students of missionary pastoral theology, will provide monthly, a two-day session during which the lesson will alternate with practice exercises, in order to become – as the brochure says – “experts of communion” who like Fr. Antonio, “wake up the world.” The October session concluded with around 20 enrollees, and the second will take place from 13 to 15 November. The course directors are two personages of great academic experience in Rome: Sr. Tiziana Longhitano sfp*, Rector of the Pontifical Urbania University and Fr. Theo Jansen ofmcap*, Professor of the Pontifical Antonianum University. *For info and course enrollment in Loppiano “Wake up the world”: Sr. Tiziana cell. +39.329.1663136, Fr. Theo cell. +39.338.6845737.
Oct 21, 2016 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
Selfless giving and receiving was the experience of the Youth for a United World from Managua, Nicaragua, during their visit to the small Focolare community of La Cal, a village that rises 1200 metres above sea level near the coffee capital of Jinotega. Armed with some bags of clothing, food, medicinals and toys that were all gathered by the community in Managua, they reached Jinotega after a 3-hour bus ride. Then they drove for 8 km in a pick-up until the road became too rough to travel on. It was still another kilometre and a half through a forest fraught with stones, crevasses and deep slopes that made the trek impossible even for the horses, and the young people had to continue on foot. “You could never imagine the wonderful welcome we received,” the young people report. The village of La Cal was in unstable condition. Its wooden houses teeming with children were without electricity, running water or medical supplies. There was a small shop in the village with some basic relief-items, a small school with one classroom, one teacher and a tiny chapel for when a pricst arrived for Mass. If not for the solar panels that were recently installed, the whole village would be in complete darkness. There were also two medical doctors with the Youth for a United World. One of them, a dentist who began the day with a presentation on oral hygiene to thirty children who so happy to use a tooth brush and toothpaste for the first time in their lives. At lunchtime one family wanted to offer some very warm and delicious tortillas, as the young people gathered the small children for games. In the afternoon presentations were offered for adults on parasite prevention. The very intense day concluded with a reading of the Word of Life, a deep spiritual moment that enveloped everyone. We were all very moved when an elderly man wished to give his blessing to the young people. This was followed by the distribution of goods that the young people had brought for them. They were offered an ex-chicken coop to sleep in that night. “It was so moving for us,” they write, “to spend the night in an ex-chicken coop just like the men in the first focolare whose house was an ex-chicken coop. In the morning, after a good breakfast that had been prepared by the women of the village, we were invited to return again soon and left for Jinotega. We went to the cathedral to thank God for the experience that had changed us so much, that had allowed us know such generous people who live their daily struggle with such dignity and joy of knowing God’s immense love for them – and for having had constructed in the midst of those mountains another small piece of universal brotherhood.”
Oct 20, 2016 | Non categorizzato
The objective of the convention to be held in the Mariapolis Centre at Castel Gandolfo (Rome), is to review the professions or activities of magistrates, lawyers, chancellors, prison staff and law enforcers, and discover the path to be pursued together to achieve justice, involving all the “actors” of the multifaceted relationships involved. On Saturday afternoon, there will be separate sessions according to professions or work fields, developed to help these pathways: magistrates coordinated by Dr. Gianni Caso, President Emeritus of the Court of Cassation Section; lawyers coordinated by Atty. Orazio Moscatello of the Court of Bari and Dr. Fiorella Verona of the Court of S. Maria Capua Vetere; court personnel coordinated by Concetta Rubino, Chancellor in the Court of Naples; prison staff coordinated by Dr. Sebastiano Zinna, former director of the UEPE in Rome and Dr. Salvatore Nasca, Director of UEPE in Florence; and law enforcers coordinated by Dr. Pasquale De Rosa, former official of the Ministry of Defence. The convention is undergoing accreditation procedures by the Council of the Lawyers’ Roll of Velletri (Rome) for the recognition as a professional development course. Program Enrolment and bookings open up to 15 November 2016: prenotazioni@comunionediritto.org Enrolment form
Oct 20, 2016 | Non categorizzato
The International Day for the eradication of Poverty was commemorated on 17 October. It was instituted by Father Wresinki in 1987, when he organized a great human rights demonstration in Paris. Poverty is manifested in various ways, incarnating situations, places and entire populations. We will never get used to the fact that there are human beings who cannot enjoy a life worth living. In winter the Youths for a United World of Slovenia dedicate themselves – among other activities – to organising “Summer jobs,” in a summer work camp: in pursuit of the needs of the place, to make various contacts with the mayors, bishops, parish priests and persons of a given locality, to see how they can give their own contribution during summer, to help people in need. This year, in collaboration with the local Caritas association, people and families who needed very concrete help were sought out. 
They organised an end-of-summer event from 15 to 20 August in Vrbje, a small village close to Celje. This third edition saw the opening of nine work sites. About 40 people dedicated themselves, seven hours a day, to many activities such as work in the fields, renovation of the courtyard of a house, construction of a chicken coop, restructuring of a disabled woman’s home, preparing aid for the population of Macedonia struck by floods or whitewashing the house of a woman living in miserable conditions. This was all a specific way of putting fraternity into practice, weaving deep relationships with the local folks, and restoring to many, that dignity they often feel to have lost. The decision to share some of the situations and try to bring relief to those who live at the outskirts of society is a demanding choice which requires time and energy, but it is above all the choice to give of oneself that started up the initiative. 
Some of the participating youths wrote about their deep impressions: «It was precisely the more difficult jobs that made us understand how most of the time, relational problems lie at the roots of poverty. For example, with a woman, even if our work had already been defined, we spent more time on the first day, only in getting to know each other, so she could trust us. Only later did she allow us to work on her apartment which needed all sorts of things». There was a lot of time for listening, speaking with many and having an exchange of experiences, worries, and future projects. All this came about in an atmosphere in which all helped each other in utmost readiness, and as a consequence, with the fullness of joy. But the Summerjob did not only consist in work: in the evening everyone shared the experiences lived during the day, and these were solemn, engaging moments that bound and united the participants more and more. Other impressions were: «Upon saying goodbye on the last day with the “employers” we suggested having coffee together to see the photos of the summer camp. It was a mystery what we managed to build in just four days. It was a really impressive moment! Just to think that in the end, the person who receives more is always the one who gives with joy. See the page on facebook of the Summerjob Slovenia 2016
Oct 19, 2016 | Focolare Worldwide, Senza categoria
Representatives of the Brazilian Methodist Church and the Baptist Church of the Philippines will also attend. The head moderator will be Cardinal Francis X. Kriengsak Kovithavanij, Archbishop of Bangkok. The theme chosen for this year: “Jesus crucified and abandoned as the basis of a spirituality of communion,” in an atmosphere of fraternal communion and reconciliation, in the context of the 500th anniversary celebration of the Reform. The meeting’s agenda will include theological and spiritual discourses in the light of the spirituality of the Focolare, liturgical celebrations of the various Christian traditions and many sessions of exchange and communion among the participants. Moreover, they will visit the Dachau concentration camp and some important sites of the Reform. An important moment will be the ecumenical rite in the Church of St. Anne in Augsburg on 26 October. The celebration will focus on the memorial of the “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification” with which the Catholic Church and the Worldwide Lutheran Federation had put an end to mutual judgements and anathemas. On Thursday, 27 October, the bishops will be received by the Mayor of Augsburg, Dr. Kurt Gribl.
