Those who love participate in the life of God and experience their freedom and the joy of self-giving. Going out of ourselves and meeting the other through listening opens the door to communion with our brothers and sisters and gives life to reciprocity.In prison I am a prison chaplain and for me each prisoner is ‘Christ-imprisoned’ to be loved. During Lent, to prepare them for Easter, I thought of reading some Gospel passages to them, accompanied by experiences. Noticing a certain interest, I thought of introducing them to some young people involved in a church movement. Having obtained the necessary permits, before even setting foot in the prison for the first time, we prayed that our being there would be a gift for the inmates. We did not talk much. But after celebrating Mass, enlivened by the young people’s songs, I saw hardened men begin to cry and heard them say: ‘Clean, innocent faces still exist!’ Evidently they had never met any before. Since then those young people have been coming once a month to the prison to animate the mass, which is always eagerly awaited. And when an inmate was transferred to another prison to be closer to his family, he had only one regret: losing contact with them. (Don Marco – Italy) In true communion One day I had a phone call from a fellow student at the academy where I studied whom I had not heard from for some time. She wanted to know how I was, among other things about the children and in particular the latest one. Evidently the news had not reached her that the pregnancy had not come to term. At that point I started telling her how things had gone, but at the same time I felt I was communicating to her the most intimate experience of that painful event: the special union with God that I experienced thanks to the support and concrete love of family and friends. As I spoke, I could sense that my friend was really listening, and it occurred to me that in those days when we studied together we had never dared to speak of God to one another. So it came as a great surprise at the end of the phone call when she confided to me: ‘You know, deep down I have always been a believer even if I didn’t want to admit it, but now hearing you speak so serenely I feel a great desire to get to know God more deeply. Why don’t we meet to talk about it?’. (J.V. – Belgium)
Edited by Maria Grazia Berretta
(taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year X- no.1 May-June 2024)
May 1st to 7th: the return of the United World Week, a global workshop and expo of initiatives to restore peace and fraternity between people and peoples. The United World Week (UWW) returns from the 1st to the 7th of May 2024. This year it focuses its global commitment on peace, sought and built from multiple fronts: attention to the poorest and the excluded, care for the environment, formation of consciences and education towards peace. This year’s motto is “Embrace Humanity, Spark Change”; a starting point and inspiration for many initiatives taking place in various cities around the world. UWW 2024, a worldwide Genfest The UWW will start with an international opening event on the 1st of May in Loppiano (Florence-Italy), but from the outset, other cities around the world will also be involved and will continue until the 7th of May being types of “workshops” in creating synergies, sharing ideas, good practices and creativity. The UWW 2024 takes place two months prior to the Genfest, the worldwide Festival of fraternity promoted by the young people of the Focolare Movement. The Genfest will take place in July at Aparecida, Brazil and it will showcase the “local” commitment of many Focolare communities. Networking with Organisations, Movements and Institutions, the Focolare communities are engaged in local contexts to respond to the most urgent needs and challenges of a given area. The “change” that the young people of the Focolare Movement, together with their communities, want to promote is concentrated in the areas of the world that are most devastated by war, by the environmental impact and by forced migration. Who are the protagonists of the UWWThe protagonists are the young people from all over the world: there is Giacomo, Italian, who left for Kenya thanks to the MilONGa international volunteering project, where he worked in orphanages in Nairobi. Or Daphne, from India, who recounts the adventure of Reach Out, the project set up in Goregaon, a suburb of East Mumbai, by some local young people to support about 70 families in poverty. Icaro, Sam and David, on the other hand, live in Brazil, in Fortaleza, where they are volunteering in the “Uirapuru Spiritual Condominium” (CEU), a campus where 21 associations work to care for needy children, people with AIDS and drug addicts. 1st of May, the opening of the UWW These and other stories will be presented during the opening of the UWW from Loppiano with an international event that will be streamed live and translated into 5 languages (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English and French). It can be followed on the UWP Youtube channel or by connecting to the UWP website (unitedworldproject.org). On this occasion, the International little town of the Focolare will host three villages, each with a different theme: inner peace, peace with others, peace in the world. In these spaces, participants will be able to attend many workshops to explore the theme of peace (Economy of Peace, There is no dialogue without listening, Conflicts in our cities, Water, a source of peace?, The Living Peace International project, Peace and art: harmony between different peoples, etc.). The common thread that will ideally unite their itinerary is the discovery of the art of dialogue. If you go to the UWP website, you can also follow some of the other events and stories of the UWW, such as Peace Got Talent which will take place on the 4th of May. There is also Run4Unity, the relay race for peace and unity, promoted by thousands of teenagers all over the world (the adults are running too!). Run4Unity will be held on the 5th of May: wherever possible, the sport events will be held in places that are symbols of peace, on the border between countries or communities in conflict, or at least in places that “speak” of inclusion.
On 13 April, the CERAP University Institute in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, hosted a symposium on the Economy of Communion entitled: ‘The gift revolution: a new paradigm for the African economy’. On April 13, 2024, the Cerap University Institute in Ivory Coast hosted a vibrant symposium focused on the Economy of Communion (EoC). Attended by 146 participants, primarily from the esteemed Economic Faculty of this University, the event provided a platform for stimulating discussions and fresh insights into alternative economic models. Against the backdrop of today’s prevailing economic norms, marked by a culture of consumption rather than contribution, attendees eagerly engaged with presentations from distinguished speakers. Father Bertin Dadier and Madame Julie Bodou Kone took center stage, illuminating the transformative potential of the EoC as a complementary force within our existing market framework. Their presentations delved into the foundational principles and values that underpin the EoC, fostering a deeper understanding among participants. Despite initial skepticism, robust exchanges ensued, with attendees seeking to unravel the practical implications of this innovative approach. One of the highlights of the symposium was the unveiling of the Chocomabs EoC enterprise, offering a tangible example of how these principles can be translated into action. As attendees delved into the case study, a palpable sense of enthusiasm and curiosity permeated the room, underscoring the relevance of such initiatives in today’s society. Steve William Azeumo, coordinator of Action for the Economy of Communion in Central Africa, delivered a powerful presentation. Azeumo emphasised the crucial role of incubating EdC entrepreneurs, offering convincing examples from Cameroon to illustrate his point. He also stressed the importance of fostering and promoting such enterprises in society, symbolising their importance with the seven colours of the rainbow. Looking ahead, the momentum generated by the symposium is poised to catalyze tangible change. Plans are underway to establish an EoC Club at the university, providing a platform for ongoing exploration and collaboration among the EoC Commission, students, and faculty members. In essence, the EoC symposium at Cerap served as a catalyst for dialogue, challenging conventional thinking and laying the groundwork for a more inclusive and sustainable economic future. Source: EoC
The Inauguration ceremony of the 2023/2024 Academic Year of the Sophia University Institute (SUI) took place on Friday, 12th April 2024, in the Auditorium of the international little town of Loppiano (Figline and Incisa Valdarno – FI).On 12th April, 2024, on the occasion of the inauguration ceremony of the 16th Academic Year of the SUI that took place on, in the Auditorium of Loppiano (Figline and Incisa Valdarno – FI), Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, extended her best wishes to the students who, in this historical moment, have chosen “with courage and hope”, to prepare for the future by attending the Sophia University Institute. She said, “May Sophia be a place which forms women and men who are able to be bearers of peace and unity in these times”. The religious and civil authorities present included Cardinal Giuseppe Betori, Archbishop of Florence and Grand Chancellor of the Sophia University Institute, Msgr.Stefano Manetti, the Bishop of Fiesole and Giulia Mugnai, Mayor of Figline and Incisa Valdarno. In his opening remarks, Card. Betori referred to times of crisis such as the one we are experiencing, saying that the event was a moment of reflection on the role of universities and of Sophia in particular. He said that Sophia has “the task of testifying to the reasonableness of the faith. And therefore educating to read and interpret reality, guiding the gaze of every young person towards that truth that maybe unconsciously, each one seeks”. Newly appointed Rector, Declan O’Byrne, an Irish theologian declared the 2023-2024 Academic Year open at the end of a speech that led participants to reflect on the social value of universities. He said. “If States invest in universities, it is because it is believed to be in the national interest to invest in young people. Investment is made because well-educated young people bring social benefits. It is believed that a nation that ensures the education of new generations will be able to adapt and bring innovation that, in turn, will guarantee the future competitiveness of the nation itself.” Regarding the particular mission of the Sophia University Institute, he reiterated: “We want to be a place where, while aware that we are experiencing a dramatic historical moment, we look at the human capacity to build lasting peace. We want to study and teach how to see those ‘seeds’ that already today express the possibility of resolving the crisis we are experiencing”. The ceremony concluded with a lecture given by Massimiliano Marianelli, Full Professor of the History of Philosophy at the University of Perugia entitled“Sophia, rediscovering the human in the ‘between’”, which focussed on the human being and the primacy of relationships. The event was streamed live and is available on Youtube in Italian and English at the links accessible from www.sophiauniversity.org
Unexpected gifts received by those who, every day, care for the most fragile in a small town in the Peruvian Amazon. “We have money until the end of the month”. With this message, Javier Varela shares the monthly report with friends of the Hogar, the “Chiara Lubich Home for the Elderly,” located in Lámud in the Peruvian Amazon. In which he is in charge of administration and his wife Jenny coordinates direct care for the elderly. The message, as one can easily guess, is troubling because the nursing home has no one to fund it; it is running and sustained only by God’s providence manifested through many friendly hands and hearts. But Jenny and Javier’s faith is disarming and contagious. Soon after, Javier shares another message: “Rafael, one of the grandparents present at the Hogar, is not well. He has been intubated with oxygen. Jenny is on her way to Chachapoyas, (capital of the Amazon region 36 km from Lámud where the Hogar is located) To get him urgently to the hospital. Hopefully they won’t have to stay overnight, it would also be very challenging for Jenny’s health. God will provide!”. Meanwhile, Jenny signs the authorization for Rafael to be taken immediately to the Lámud Health Center (so that they can administer oxygen to him). “I was left alone in the kitchen, pondering how to proceed – Jenny says -. I noticed that tears were beginning to flow down my cheeks. I said to Jesus, ‘What do you want from me? Help me and suggest to me what I should do’. It is powerful to know that Jesus hears your miseries, your struggles, and that in Him you can abandon all worries. All the while, my cell phone had been ringing, ringing… I would have been asked to go and sign the declaration to become his guardian, which I would have liked to avoid. As I walked to the Health Center, a nurse called me to tell me that they had already contacted Rafael’s relative and that he was waiting for his nephew at the hospital in Chachapoyas. I felt great relief, although at no time did I hesitate to accept God’s will, whatever it was.” Shortly after, all was resolved: Rafael was gradually stabilized and Jenny was able to accompany him to the hospital in Chachapoyas, where she met the elderly man’s grandson, to whom she handed over his papers and a bag of clothes. Jenny is thus able to return home “tired, but calm and grateful for all that had been experienced….”. But it doesn’t end there: while they were taking care of Rafael’s health and the other elderly people in the Hogar House, God took care of them, sending the Providence they so desperately needed. “Someone very dear to me – Javier narrates – told us that the financial aid request we had made together two months earlier had been accepted. It was wonderful to meet this person; I saw in him a true brother. He showed me the letter from the institution we had approached asking for help and the generous amount they sent us”. Jenny and Javier decided to share some of what they had received with the sisters of the Chachapoyas nursing home.
On 12th April, 2024, on the occasion of the inauguration ceremony of the 16th Academic Year of the SUI that took place on, in the Auditorium of Loppiano (Figline and Incisa Valdarno – FI), Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, extended her best wishes to the students who, in this historical moment, have chosen “with courage and hope”, to prepare for the future by attending the