Rome - For the 40th anniversary of the movement "Faith and Light", more than 500 disabled people in prayer, along with "The Friends" of the Community of Sant'Egidio, in Santa Maria in Trastevere
July 4, 2011
Sunday, July 3, at the conclusion of a pilgrimage to Loreto disabled people from Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Switzerland and Croatia on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the birth of the movement "Faith and Light", founded by Jean Vanier, the basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere has welcomed more than 500 people - disabled people with their families and friends - for a prayer for peace together with "The Friends" of the Sant'Egidio Community
At the ecumenical service, led by the Maronite bishop of Cyprus, Archbishop. Youssef Soueif, also attended by 120 representatives of Faith and Light of the Orthodox tradition.
During his homily, the parish priest of Santa Maria in Tratevere, Mgr. Marco Gnavi, noted that "in our hearts and in our faces, there is happiness, because we are witnesses of the Gospel and the Gospel is the most beautiful word that is spoken over our lives... despite our weakness we are the salt of the earth and light of the world. With our weakness we testify that one can not live without love".
Mgr Gnavi, after pointing out that many of the participants in the pilgrimage came from Cyprus, the last European country to be divided by a wall, stressed the value of the meeting "seeing us and seeing our fraternity, they will realize that we are disciples of Jesus" and has shown to people with disabilities of Faith and Light and The Friends of the prospective of becoming peacemakers themselves, explaining that "already our being together is the first way to break down the dividing wall of hostility"
During the celebration all the countries victims of war or widespread violence were mentioned, and for each one of them candles were lit to ask the Lord for the gift of peace.
The prayer was followed by a moment of celebration during which they were blown out candles on a huge cake prepared on the occasion of 40 years of Faith and Light.
