DIARIO DI BORDO....

13 August 2023

Diario di Bordo: dal 3 al 5 agosto

E nella serata del 3 agosto ci imbarchiamo con il bus alla volta di Fatima, luogo che segna il XX secolo con l’apparizione di Maria che chiede a tre ragazzini di aiutarla a salvare il Mondo, unendo le proprie fatiche, ferite, preghiere e sacrifici alla Croce di Gesù. Arriviamo all’alba e la spianata dove si trova la piccola cappelletta delle Apparizioni ci accoglie come un abbraccio che intenerisce tutte le nostre resistenze. Inizia in tanti di noi la commozione, in alcuni il pianto, in tutti la preghiera, fatta seguendo il percorso in ginocchio fino alla cappella, accendiamo candele, portiamo le centinaia di lettere con le intenzioni di preghiera che avevamo raccolto in comunità e le depositiamo proprio vicino alla statua originale che Lucia, la veggente aveva fatto fare somigliante alla Signora vestita di bianco che le era apparsa sei volte. Celebriamo la Messa e si apre in noi la nostalgia del Cielo. Maria ci ha aperto un varco verso un rapporto più stretto con Gesù suo Figlio. Dobbiamo purtroppo ripartire verso Lisbona dove nella calca raggiungiamo il nostro alloggiamento, in una grande palestra, per tutti noi 320 della Famiglia del Murialdo del mondo. E’ il momento di incamminarci verso la Via Crucis con il Papa. Iniziamo a tuffarci in una folla di giovani sui treni, sui bus, nelle strade e ascoltiamo le testimonianze e vediamo le coreografie che ci aiutano a pensare che in tanti attraversiamo fatiche e prove, ma a tutti viene data la compagnia forte e rassicurante di Gesù che per primo ha affrontato la sofferenza e si è rialzato. E sabato è giorno di avvicinamento al grande Campo della Grazia dove abbiamo il settore B2 destinato a noi per vivere la Veglia con il Papa e la Messa di domenica. Arriviamo attraversando la città intera, imboccando l’autostrada a piedi, attraversando ponti, sempre cantando, sventolando le nostre bandiere: avviciniamo giovani dai Caraibi, dal Libano, dal Connecticut, dalla Florida, dal Capo Verde, dalle Azzorre, dal Giappone e dalla Corea…un fiume di umanità radunata per un unico scopo, raccogliersi attorno alla nostra cara guida e pastore Francesco che ci parla del nostro Amato Signore Gesù, ne abbiamo bisogno, ne abbiamo sete, vogliamo vedere il Signore…E nella Veglia avviene un momento sorprendente: quando viene portato Gesù Eucarestia sull’altare scende un silenzio abissale sul milione e mezzo di giovani, ci mettiamo tutti in ginocchio e ciascuno sembra davvero entrare in un dialogo personale con Gesù che è capace di parlare a ciascuno! Ci fa intuire che Lui nella sua potenza aggancia il cuore di ciascuno, ci recupera, ci rialza, ci salva, uno ad uno… E le scritte che compaiono nel cielo con i droni:“Rise Up” , “Rialzati”, “Levantate”…diventano il messaggio che ci apre il Cuore, ci ridice “non scoraggiarti, non aver paura, l’importante è non restare caduto, rialzati…” E arriva la notte bella sull’Oceano, nel Campo di Grazia dove ci addormentiamo nei nostri sacchi a pelo…in attesa della Domenica con il mandato a tutti i giovani del Mondo.

Nella foto il gruppo a Fatima, sul Campo di Grazia, durante la Veglia e il Papa.

News

Other news

Murialdo 2027 Calendar: A Year to Experience Together

The Murialdo 2027 Agenda is currently being prepared; it is designed to accompany the days of the new year with events, reflections, and words inspired by the charism of St. Leonardo Murialdo. It will be a special edition, dedicated to the journey of preparation for the bicentennial of our Founder’s birth. A small, everyday item and, at the same time, a great gift idea for anyone who wants to feel like part of the Murialdina Family. To request your copies, please email vita.g@murialdo.org. Due to logistical reasons, a small contribution toward shipping costs may be requested. The Letter from the Father General, Fr. Nadir Poletto Building the Civilization of Love To all of you who accompany us through the Congregation’s Calendar, in the initiatives and events of the Congregation of St. Joseph and the Murialdo Family: We are delighted and sincerely grateful for this sense of participation and sharing in daily life that you offer in our communities and works throughout the world. Sharing responsibility for the Murialdo mission is a blessing for everyone. The Church’s current message—which also sets forth guidelines for the future of the Church, our Congregation of St. Joseph, and the entire Murialdo Family, as presented in Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas—leads us to recognize the profound cultural, social, and technological challenges that society, and young people in particular, are facing in this time of profound change. If the trend in today’s world is to build a “New Babel,” which represents the idolatry of profit at the expense of the most vulnerable and increases the risk of dehumanization, we are called, according to Pope Leo XIV, to build the “New Jerusalem”—the city of love, where love is the sole guiding principle of economic, political, and cultural life. My hope for this year, 2027, is to make notes in my calendar that will contribute to the building of a new society, where God and humanity live together. Another event not to be missed this year is the celebration of the bicentennial of the birth of St. Leonardo Murialdo, which will begin in October 2027 and conclude in October 2028. In anticipation of this historic anniversary, we are all invited to participate in the celebrations and events that will involve the entire Murialdo Family. A warm, brotherly greeting to everyone. Fr. Nadir Poletto Father General

07 September 2026

Training and Support Network: The School for Educators in San Giuseppe Vesuviano

From August 28 to 30, 2026, the community of San Giuseppe Vesuviano hosted the training program "School for Educators", three intensive days dedicated to educators and professionals, with the primary goal of inspiring renewal under the guiding theme: “One thing leads to another... Change, Renewal, Transformation”. The training program offered educators an experience rich in spirituality, sharing, and rediscovery of the local area, fostering discussion on the themes of renewal and personal and communal transformation. The program alternated between moments of guided reflection, prayer, and pedagogical insights—such as the focus on Murialdi’s spiritual foundations and the presentation of the “School for Educators” accompaniment program by Fr. Victor Abreu and Fr. Alejandro Bazan—and meaningful field visits and experiences. Among these were visits to the early Christian basilicas and the community of the Salesian Sisters in Torre del Greco; a meeting with the “Jamm restiamo umani” association in Marigliano; and the testimony of the “La Paranza” cooperative in the Rione Sanità neighborhood of Naples, culminating in a concluding reflection session held at the Murialdian mission in Naples. What is the "Murialdo Welcome Network" in Italy? The Murialdo Welcome Network in Italy brings together all the ministries, communities, group homes, day centers, and socio-educational projects promoted by the Giuseppini del Murialdo and the lay members of the Murialdo Family throughout the country. It serves as the operational and charismatic arm that addresses the needs of children, at-risk youth, vulnerable families, and people at risk of social exclusion. By working together as a network, these organizations share the pedagogy of love taught by St. Leonard Murialdo, transforming their welcoming efforts into a journey of growth, education, and social reintegration.

31 August 2026

The Superior General’s Visit to India: Fraternity, Growth, and Education

From August 10 to September 1, the Superior General, Fr. Nadir Poletto (C.S.J.), made a significant fraternal visit to India, meeting with his confreres and visiting all the locations where our Congregation is present in the country. His first stop was in Chennai, at the philosophy formation house and the House of Hope mission, a group home that welcomes and cares for very young people in need. The trip then continued to the north of the country to the Saint Joseph Academy in Bihar. In this region, marked by severe social and economic vulnerabilities, our school serves as a beacon of hope for hundreds of young people. During the visit, Father General inaugurated the second floor of the school complex: a vital expansion that will offer an even greater number of students the opportunity to access a quality education in a safe environment. The visit concluded in Chembarakky, the site of our novitiate, where Fr. Nadir shared moments of deep fellowship and prayer with the young men in formation. On this occasion, the Father General celebrated the feast of ONAM together with his confreres. What is the ONAM festival? It is one of the most important and deeply cherished festivals in the state of Kerala (in southern India), linked to the harvest season and local cultural traditions. It is a celebration characterized by a strong spirit of inclusivity and community, bringing people together in the spirit of prosperity, sharing, brotherhood, and hospitality.

01 September 2026