“My current parish is found in one of the neighbourhoods of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia,” says Fr Ludovit. “The city has about 4,300 inhabitants, of which 3,500 are Christians, and the numbers continue to grow. When I arrived here in July 2009, I knew my first task was to love people with the love of Jesus. Now I can say that I’m happy because a beautiful community has sprung up between people of different ages and social status, from different Slovakian cities, who have discovered a new relationship with God, not just through the Bible and prayer, but also through the community and various parish activities. They have found here the joy in the faith which is worth living for. When I first arrived, there were no young people: the government had banned the construction of new buildings, so many young couples had moved elsewhere. Furthermore, there was no program of formation in the faith for the few teens there were. I met three young people who had the desire to help me, but they were immersed in their own work and studies. At that time I invited the teens and the young people who had recently been confirmed to a barbecue. They came as a sign of respect, but they never returned. “We’ve already received Confirmation, so there’s no need to go to Mass anymore,” they told me. In this situation, I entrusted everything to Jesus. Since September 2009, I have been teaching Catechism in all of the elementary and middle school classes (about 150 children and teens). At the same time, I started a Sunday Mass for families. I tried to take advantage of every occasion to build relationships: greeting people on the street, visiting others in their home, exchanging a few words at the shops, in the office, or at school. And again: invitations to a barbecue and to play sports on the parish grounds. Little by little people began to participate. Gradually a community was forming; there were children who didn’t want to miss out, young mothers who discovered a common bond because their children were the same age, dads who invited one another to help with various odd jobs in the church or in the parish house, but also to play tennis or have a beer together. Even the mayor and some members of parliament began to participate. One day, Jesus also sent me Blanka, who is now the choir director and the leader of many events.” “Many say that ours is ‘a live parish’,” affirms Blanka. “In spite of our individual differences, we constantly search for what unites us, and we always return to the fount of unity, of love, and of forgiveness, which is Jesus. We parents try to create the practical conditions so that many activities can be carried out. Often they are to the detriment of our time, our rest or housework, but it is truly wonderful to see that everyone supports not only their own children, but all of “our” children. This is the case with Michael, an autistic boy who is now adolescent. I am very glad to see that the other teens are open towards him inviting him to join them and considering him their equal. And Michael loves them a lot and feels that they all are part of his big family.” “I am an allergist/immunologist and I work in a non-government capacity at the Pediatric University Hospital of Bratislava,” continues Dagmar. “The Pastoral Center and the parish Nursery School which were constructed have become ‘poles’ of different activities for our children, teens, and young people, of which the number is constantly growing. One day, in May 2012, Fr Ludo asked me if I were available to participate as a medical doctor at a summer camp for teens in our parish. I immediately said no. But then, I remembered the faces of the teens that I knew. In the end I said yes, and now it is already my 4^th year! I have become more sensitive to the suffering of the children and to their fears for their health when they find themselves without their parents. This experience has helped me to understand the deeper significance of service to others.” “A very important meeting occurred last year in Benevento (Italy), organized by the Parish Movement,” concludes Fr Ludovit. “Our young people came away with ‘an encouragement, a spiritual strength, a closer relationship with God,’ they said, ‘and above all, the desire to live “committed to love,” because whatever we do, if it does not have love, loses its value and significance.’ For me it was a confirmation that the community had not only been born and consolidated, but that it rests on the faith of the young people. The future, therefore, is secured.”