ITALY, Kike Fanego •
Today we want to share our experience from 17 June 2019 —a young Italian’s covenant of love — who knew the Schoenstatt Movement five years ago thanks to the Mission Rome project. —
The first photo is about five years old, when the first Mission Rome group (Nico, Braulio and Jorge) met an Italian, a certain Giovanni Volpe, at University Roma Tre thanks to his question about tereré (a drink like a Mate or herbal tea) “Is that smoke? Is it drug?”
She takes care in inexplicable ways
At that moment, a new stage, a “new life,” began, where the Blessed Mother acted in an inexplicable way on each occasion throughout the five years since that first mission.
The second photo: After so many incredible moments, Giovanni sealed his covenant of love with Mary yesterday.
After all these years, yesterday was when we really said it was worthwhile to take a year of our lives, to literally leave everything behind in Paraguay, to take that death leap blindly and have no idea what we were going to face.
5 years of Mission Rome bears fruit
Today, Mission Rome 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are celebrating and happy for this fruit that only Mary gives us and with the certainty that in the future many more will come. Cheers!
Giovanni’s covenant letter said:
“Dear Mother:
Today I am here to thank you for the gift you gave me with this covenant. I was chosen more than five years ago, when I found you on a university desk, and I set out on the path of faith.
Through the great South American hearts of Paraguayan missionaries: Nico, Braulio, Jorge, Mauri, Juan, Martín, Rodrigo, Stefano, Luis, Piero, Riki, Raúl, Renato, Manuel, Chevo, Kike and Alcy, you made me a better person, you worked on my limitations and faults and you made me feel loved by God.
In recent months, with the help of Angela, Mission Rome 5, and my friends Paola and Fabrizio, you have called me to you.
Thank you, dear Mother, because during these five years you have given me the opportunity to fly high. I entrust to you in today’s prayer all the faces of friends who since 2015 have become part of my new life.
I am at your service from today onward. Make me capable of loving my neighbor more and more and of following the example of my missionary friends. Give me a credible testimony of Christ.
Amen.”
Mission Rome is a project of the Paraguayan Boys’ Youth. Young Schoenstatters, formed in the Boys’ Youth of Paraguay, go to Rome to help in the founding of the Italian Boys’ Youth and in the parish of Santi Patroni’s youth ministry in Trastevere, entrusted to the Schoenstatt Fathers.
Original: Italian. 22 June 2019. Translation: Melissa Peña-Janknegt, Elgin, TX USA
