At the Fraternity Exercises, I was very moved by watching the video of Fr. Giussani speaking at St. Patrick’s in 1981, although I had seen it before. It suddenly struck me what a miracle it is that the Movement exists at all here in the U.S. I remember very clearly what the life of CL was like when we had no books of Fr. Giussani, no Traces, no Spirto Gentil CDs–nothing but a few handouts with which to do this strange thing called School of Community. What a weird term. At that time, to speak of “experience” or “Event” was beyond strange for everyone. Even those who understood that Fr. Giussani was perfectly within the tradition of the Church felt that American Catholics would never respond to him. Watching the video, we have had years of experience and education to overcome our deafness–those two or three people scattered here and there who followed had none of that to go on. So why did they follow, while so many who were aware of the Church’s need for renewal walked away because what Giussani was saying sounded like gibberish or didn’t seem pertinent to “real” problems, judged according to their standards? This matters to me, because if they hadn’t said yes, I wouldn’t have met the Movement. I’m not sure I would be in the Church today, but I certainly wouldn’t have any awareness of the richness of faith and what the Christian fact has to do with me. And I wouldn’t have my wife, my kids, my career, because all of those blessings sprang from their yes. That’s what hits me most strongly. Really, the lesson of Fr. Carrón in these Exercises resonated with me, because I can see so clearly what an openness to Christ generates.

John Touhey, New Jersey (USA)