Maria Salerno, of the Secretariat of the New Families Movement explained that the idea came from the desire of the many families who would like to have an experience of deepening the charism of unity, and then become animators of other families, but who have difficulty taking the necessary year off from work to attend the annual Loreto School for their own formation. By transforming this obstacle into a springboard, a team made up of about twenty families and various help began to imagine a new proposal: the “Loppiano Family Experience; an international school in which one can have a short experience, during the three weeks of the course, of the training and life that one has at the Loreto School for families.
Unexpectedly, applications began to pour in and available places ran out long before the deadline for registration. Thus, on July 8, 22 families from Jordan, Gabon, Korea, Mexico, Paraguay, Colombia, Brazil, Spain, Slovakia and Germany arrived at Loppiano.
Maria explained that “In the programme we alternated moments of in-depth study on the spirituality of unity with issues pertaining to the family with communication, sexuality, the education of children, and bioethical issues. Followed by elements of our pastoral care such as New Families, the formation packages for the accompaniment of the committed, engaged couples, young couples.”
A lot of space was left for spontaneous dialogue, personal conversations and getting to know one another between families.
“The Value, among others, of the in-depth study that Fr. Carlo Seno of the Vinea Mea has made on the sacrament of Marriage was much appreciated by all because it has given new vigour to couples by reminding them of the grace that accompanies the sacrament and from which we can always draw, especially in times of difficulty,” Maria Salerno recalled
About forty children, from 6 months to 22 years old, shared the “Loppiano Family Experience” with their parents, suitable programmes for different ages had been prepared for them with sports, craft and cooking workshops. There were moments to discover the citadel life: from the Gen Verde to the Gen Rosso, from the Polo Lionello to the artistic workshops, from the Farm to the Theotokos Shrine; and then some tourism, with an organised visit to the nearby Tuscan cities of art of Florence and Arezzo.
One last gem, on the Saturday before departure; Yura, a three-year-old South Korean girl, born during the Covid period, received the sacrament of Baptism, thus fulfilling her parents’ dream to have her baptized in the Maria Theotokos shrine.
“The three weeks I spent with you at Loppiano were wonderful! We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the love and warmth you have shown us from the moment of our arrival until our departure,” wrote a family from Jordan at the end of the experience, “we ask you to keep us, Arab Christians, very much in your prayers!”
One of the Korean couples said: “In the splendid world of Loppiano which goes beyond the language barrier, we have experienced that we can all become one family!”
All the families left with the great desire to bring what they experienced at Loppiano to the families in their own countries. In short, one could say: a successful experiment!
Source: https://www.loppiano.it/2024/09/06/loppiano-family-experience-esperimento-riuscito/
Author: Tamara Pastorelli
