Posted On 2016-10-05 In Missions

Family Missions in Italy

ITALY – Fr. Alfredo Pereira •

The art of ringing the bells, knocking on doors, the Pilgrim Mother traveling throughout town, community life, liturgies with the town people, people’s welcome, and sharing…

A challenge of our times

When there are so many questions about the family in different genres: anthropological, social, political, and above all religious, God calls some couples so that their marital love will also be missionary– a love that spreads outside their home.  Fr. Kentenich, founder of the Schoenstatt Movement, encouraged families previously during the ‘60’s not to forget that the family has an essential obligation to evangelize, and in forming society, that certain passivity in this field joined the growing crisis of faith, and had consequently taken it to a crisis of the family itself.  The family has a mission in itself, its strength and its beauty resides in true witness. Therefore, books, words and speeches are of little use.

The Family Missions were born in Santiago de Chile at the end of the ‘90’s around the parish of “Our Lady of Sorrows” with Fr. Hernán Alessandri’s (a Schoenstatt Father, who is currently in the beatification process) determination and motivation.  He spoke a great deal about the importance of a ministry like this one.  And he frequently repeated:  “The family is not born but it becomes missionary.”  Shortly afterwards, the family missions spread with great vigor to Paraguay and Argentina. Currently they are also in Spain, Portugal, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Ecuador.

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How does it work?

A parish is chosen where the mission is carried out. Generally, it is a town or village. It is coordinated previously with the parish priest, and the mission date is set and whatever is necessary on the level of infrastructure/logistics, as well as the spiritual point of view (encouragement for the month, confessions, gatherings with youths, mothers, families, children, dramas, etc.) so that the experience will interiorly commit the missionaries. We have noticed that the ideal time ranges between 5 to 7 days. A missionary group consists of at least five couples with their children, and other youths, friends of their children, etc. This results in approximate proportion of 1 adult to 5 youths.  Therefore it is an experience involving the youths so they will feel comfortable. Thus, the family experience points to its own goal and the missionary aspect commits its own horizon. This way, there is a nascent church founded on Christian family foundations, desires and of a commitment for a leading role in the Church.

What is this beauty of which we speak?

Beauty is found in the fact that during the course of days the family becomes missionary, together parents, youths, and children place themselves at the disposal of the Gospel and to the mission community’s brothers/sisters. It is a true revolution in the adults and the youths, because it is a 100% faith experience of sharing, of family, and of service. The most beautiful thing is that there is no time for theories.

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How are they born in Italy? Human work and Providence

Fr. Alfredo, chaplain of the University Roma Tre and youth pastor to the youths at Santi Patroni Parish, casually tells two couples that he has to help a parish priest who is a friend of his during Holy Week. Thinking about how to encourage the youths and families jointly, he launches the ideal of doing something different during Holy Week.  And so, with the desire to take a risk, as the Pope urged, to go out and become less self-centered, he led the couples and youths to try this new experience.  The result was the first Family Mission in Italy.

We are convinced that the Blessed Mother waited for the right time, and fortunately we have responded to the sign.

Val di Zoldo parish priest, Fr. Moreno’s welcome to this new initiative was another providential sign.  Without completely understanding what was going to happen with all of this, he always took care of us with dedication, attention and closeness.

After the first one, the second one came…and why not the third one?

After the excellent experience, finding consensus for the second mission was easier. The news and the enthusiasm of the first ones were very convincing for the invitation to a second mission. Here we return to an old adage “Words are blown by the wind, deeds are what count…” without a witness, there is no opportunity to develop a missionary experience.

The families became five, and there were thirty-five youths.  In total, we were fifty people.

This time, Fr. Moreno placed us at the disposal of a kindergarten, which quickly became the focus of the mission.

After the second experience, we had not only gained experience, but also an awareness God is manifesting himself very strongly here, and that we in turn must commit to respond to his call faithfully. Meanwhile, a third mission comes additionally.

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The atmosphere

Internally, family is absorbed, with all its possible nuances, which enhances the importance of the family experience in the interior of evangelization.  Departing from the example of the smallest ones, who from morning to night untiringly bring joy, enthusiasm and so much commotion!  Without a doubt, this generates a kind of chain reaction that infects the parents, university and secondary students. It is not easy to explain, but the innocence and joy with which the children participate in the activities and of the mission to the homes is transformed into a lesson for us adults, because frequently things are easier than what we imagine, and in this regard, they are way ahead.

Just as the presence of the families, parents and children is important, the presence of the high school and university young people is also important because they are also ones who create the beauty of the mission.  When the atmosphere does not have the freshness of youth, the children quickly avoid it and gradually they lose interest.  Then it is also important to work on the growth experience of the youths, obviously accepting their imperfections and their immaturity, but appreciating the strength, creativity, joy and commitment that young people produce in the internal center of the mission.

Life in common

The family mission has two dimensions, an external one and an internal one.  The internal dimension is based on the missionaries’ spiritual and communal sharing.  Everyday the journey begins in the chapel with Morning Prayer.  Every missionary belongs to a family to which it refers. After several services are carried out, like in a summer camp (spirituality, service during meals, cleaning common areas) there is always a reflection given by the priest who accompanies them. He characterizes the day with some values and aspects of the mission. Then the parents renew the sending forth of their children to the mission, and they go on mission door to door, seeking people.  The town is divided among the missionary families, so that the entire area is covered.

During meals, they not only share food, but also, the day’s experiences. Then there is recreation, an enjoyable time to get to know each other, to laugh and finally a moment of silence in the little chapel as the last offering of the day.

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Mary the first Missionary

As for the external dimension, Mary is the first missionary, and she trusted completely in the Lord’s will, without neglecting her full giving of self to God; she is always there to help men/women. Mary teaches us the harmonious relationship between contemplation and service, between intimacy and communitarian life, between prayer and the apostolate.  Just as she is the first to be interested in the love of her son reaching everyone, she calls, she chooses us, she invites us, she opens doors, she is the one who speaks and intercedes, she takes care of her children, she converts a community into a family.  For this reason, every missionary couple takes a picture of the Blessed Mother, and at the end of the visits, it is nothing other than prayer, sharing, and mutual listening. We learn from one another, we support each other mutually. In addition if the occasion permits, we invite people to parish activities and to liturgies. We leave a holy card of the Blessed Mother, and we promise to take them to the little chapel, where united with Mary, we pray for one another.

Holy Week – the Lord’s Easter

Holy Week is the most important feast for Christians, and unfortunately, in large cities, sometimes certain traditions have been lost.  The youths are less committed and encouraged; sometimes because of the long ceremonies that bore them, they do not perceive the beauty of the symbols and the strength of these celebrations.  For this reason, Holy Week gives us the opportunity to live the most important feast of the Faith with people and to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus with them. Meanwhile it is traveling the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord together, and at the same time, rapidly deepening in the mystery and the heart of the people.  Thus Holy Week generates an opportunity for a great exchange.

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Above all going on mission means to receive, and often leaving behind that which we have given…

Naturally, the impact is reciprocal in the families that go on mission as well as in the people they visit.  For parents to see their children go on mission and joyfully participate in the activities is a unique satisfaction.  On the other hand, the youths feel how useful they can be, how many talents they have, and the good it does a soul to share freely.  We could say that they also discover their vocation to the Church, a vocation that has always been present, but that is confirmed when activated; realizing that they are the Church, and without them, it would not be the same.  Beyond this, as we have already outlined, a freshness and unique vitality is reborn in the adults through the strength of the youths and the children. It is truly a “pilot” experience.  The strength and the purity of a family’s love have a wonderful power.  Usually, the welcome of the people, the familiarity, the attachments that are born from nothing, the answers to the questions they have and the happiness of a sharing they never thought about produces a transforming impact.

Nothing without you, nothing without us

Finally, you acquire the awareness of being an instrument, because the Mission is nothing more than a gift from God. St. Teresa of Calcutta said we are a pencil in God’s hand because God constantly fills us with gifts and blessings; it is only that we do not always have the time and the courage to see them.

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Original: Italian.  Translation:  Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA. Edited: Melissa Peña-Janknegt, Elgin, TX USA

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