Rwanda: inexplicable freedom
EncountersAt 14, he lost his parents and siblings in the genocide. Fr. Marcel Uwineza found himself face to face with the man who killed them, who asked to be forgiven. "I stopped being a prisoner.”
Stories
Stories - 2021
Unconditional love
EncountersIt is not forgetfulness, nor indifference, but “looking reality in the face”. Even pain for her homeland. A dialogue on forgiveness with Margaret Karram, of Palestinian origin and the new president of the Focolare Movement.
Belonging to a people
WorldRose Busingye speaks of the impact of the Fraternity Exercises, which for her and her Ugandan friends have been an explosive novelty. “You felt like jumping on the chair and shouting to everyone that life has meaning. And you are no longer afraid."
Holy Land: forgiveness on the other side of the wall
WorldAbu Omar, a Palestinian, had been able to forgive his brother’s murderers thanks to his classmates. Daniel, a former solider, describes an impossible coexistence. And Fr. Gabriel, a parish priest in Gaza… This is how peace can be reborn.
Grace in my house
WorldThe Mina family has flourished thanks to the presence of a daughter with a disability. Her gentleness has edified the family without her saying a word. “She was our permanent pass to get directly to what is essential." From May Traces.
Brazil: among the stars and lasagna
WorldSeven years of marriage, including the last year amid the difficulties of Covid. But it has also been an opportunity to discover what keeps you on your feet. Filippo recounts the story of his family.
Novella. Life reborn in an encounter
WorldA housewife, wife and mother, who allowed herself to be "welcomed" and thus welcomed and transformed the lives of others. 25 years after the death of Novella Scardovi, a celebration with the Bishop of Imola "to encounter the certainty that sustained her".
Mexico: Among Lulù's books
WorldA retired teacher, with her illness and difficulties. Yet during the pandemic she has continued her reading workshop for children online, which started a few years ago and has distant roots made up of encounters, like that with Fr. Giussani…
Sweden: The bridge
WorldLife with the link to Denmark closed, far away from friends with a new job... Valentina talks about what has changed in her daily life in Malmö. From the April issue of Traces.
Romania: widening your gaze within the pandemic
WorldIn Romania, problems have multiplied and children are abandoned to their own devices. Sometimes 5 or 6 people live in a one-room apartment. Simona Carobene, from the NGO Fdp, talks to us about their new projects created in response to the emergency.
Dominican Republic: "You are full of hope"
WorldYan is part of the small CL community: "Instead of weakening our bond, isolation is making us take School of Community more and more seriously." A vitality that stands out.
The flood and Rosetta’s hope
EncountersFor days she has been on the front line rebuilding one of the educational works set up thanks to her in Brazil, which was devastated by mud. Today she recounts what she is experiencing: "A great opportunity to touch the Lord with my own hands".
Uganda: How Brother Elio responded
World“He taught me to forgive and to love.” In the midst of feuds and massacres, Brother Elio Croce unified a people simply by serving them. These are the stories of his life through the eyes of those who knew him. From February Traces.
Fr. Giussani and I. Confessions of a headteacher
US, UK and MoreSixteen years since the death of Fr. Giussani, the story of Hans van Mourik Broekman who "met" Giussani last year, making him reconsider his way of working and living his faith. From the February issue of Traces.
Pigi Bernareggi on Fr. Giussani
EncountersOn the occasion of the death of Fr.Pigi Bernareggi, we present his witness at the 2018 New York Encounter event, A Human Gaze, A History: the Life of Luigi Giussani. "He opened our eyes to the presence of God in everything."
The beating heart of Xiao Ping
WorldFrom January Traces, the story about the woman from Taipei mentioned at the Beginning Day. She dedicated her life to work and had no religion until she became ill. The encounter that changed her life continues to transform the lives of others.
Fr. John and the “Drive thru”
US, UK and MoreA new, suburban parish in a town in South Dakota. The pandemic, the loneliness of the people, and the suspension of Sunday Mass. Fr. John recounts what has been happening, and talks about the line of cars in his driveway.
Francesco’s fifteen minutes
WorldQualified by decree, he immediately finds himself visiting Covid patients at home. The story of another young doctor in a time of pandemic, and of the "care the Lord has for me".
Cecilia and the bursts of Light
WorldShe found herself assisting patients in a Covid ward without even celebrating her graduation. Yet, amidst so much fatigue and suffering, she finds herself "taken by the hand" by someone. The story of a young nurse.
Kazakhstan: "When God interrupts you..."
WorldA series of "Christmas meetings," including poetry, education, charity. Online, but with guests from around the world. Here is what has been happening in and around Karaganda in recent months.
"That whisper that sweeps cynicism away"
WorldIn the last few months, recent medical school graduates have found themselves catapulted into the hospital in the midst of a state of emergency. What have they seen and experienced? Some of them have told us, like Melisa, a first-year graduate resident.