On Saturday, April 24th, soon after 8 a.m., the roof of a building situated in Via Gianturco, eastern outskirts of Naples, collapsed. The building was crumbling, like others in the same area, and was occupied by a few homeless Polish people .
Two of them managed to escape unharmed, and called for aid. Taddeus, seriuosly injured, was carried to the hospital. Nothing could be done, instead, for Aleksandra.
A fifth person was still missing: bulldozers, firemen and dogs kept searching till the next morning, Sunday 25th, when eventually the corpse of Ceslav, 50 years, Polish, was founded.
The survivors told us that when the collapse occured, Aleksandra was listening to Radio Maria and saying the rosary. The people involved in the collapse lived in extremely poor conditions due to the loss or the precariousness of their jobs or health status, but in spite of their situation they hadn’t loose their dignity and mildness.
The Community of Sant’Egidio every week, for ten years, have been along those roads, to meet homeless friends and bring them food, clothes, blankets…but most of all to speak with them, restoring their dignity and futhering an integration that is possible, though made difficult by many obstacles and still too few rights.
After the mayor has proclaimed the mourning, waiting to celebrate Aleksandra and Ceslav funeral, the Community of Sant’Egidio expresses its sorrow at the loss of two dearest friends and fellows and hopes for the whole city’s solidarity and welcoming for everyone before the increasing poverty. |