Exchange among the participants at the tables

Group of participants at the Assembly

Sr. Carla Casadei, sfp

“You are the salt of the Earth” [Mt 5:13]

These were the opening words; a jar of colored salt had been placed on every table at the Italian Area Assembly, held in  Vermicino (Rome) on July 2-4, 2010.

We began our gathering with some time devoted to prayer, blessing God, who gives us every good thing. Divided into four groups, each honored one of the basic elements of life – air, water, earth, and fire – and expressed to the whole community the personal gift she wished to offer during the days we would spend together.  

Sr. Barbara Fiorentino, as Chair of the Assembly Preparation Committee, opened the work of the Assembly, explaining the meaning of salt. 

• Salt is an essential element for life; it is present in the tissues of living beings; has been used since antiquity as medicine; is used to preserve food. 
• Called “white gold” in antiquity, salt was a symbol of  purification in the Middle Ages and, given its “incorruptible” quality, in a religious setting it signifies the eternity of the covenant between Israel and God. Salt is also a symbol of God’s Wisdom. 
• Finally, salt can be savored; it is one of the four primary flavors and it is essential to build our “flavor palette.” 

We then welcomed with joy Sr. Anna Ingoglia as our new CCA and presented her with a special gift: a salt lamp, wishing that God’s Wisdom may guide her at this time with Her light and may give Sr. Anna peace, courage, hope, strength and all the gifts. 

You are Healers for the Community of Life

Sr. Anna introduced the title of our gathering, which is meant to be in continuity with our General Chapter Call, with our Assemblies and our past journey. This Assembly was a place where we could experience healing, compassion and hope. The Gospel of that day reminded us of Matthew’s calling: “Jesus walking by saw a man called Matthew and said to him, ‘Follow me’ and he got up and followed him.” In a similar way, Jesus asks us today to get up and follow him, as we are, with the energy we have.  

This was followed by Sr. Tiziana Merletti’s remarks about hope. She invited us to give hope by nourishing it within ourselves, encouraging us to forgive those who took it away from us and by welcoming the diverse ways in which we can live it. She then introduced us to five dysfunctions of a team (From the book Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni). The exchange and reflections at the tables showed that we really need to continue an ongoing deepening of the dynamics of our life and emphasized how important it is today to be formed as leaders.  

In the afternoon, the communities alternated in presenting experiences lived during the year. With joy and gratitude, we welcomed the variety of “healing styles” we live in our ministries in the areas where we are.

“There is nothing greater in life than bending toward others so that they can put their arms around your neck and pull themselves up.” [L. Pintor]
The theme was explored in depth in a talk by Professor Simone Morandini, Professor of Physics and Ecumenical Theology in Venice. He focused on the meaning of Community, healing and our relationship with the earth, through the dynamics of relationships that are powerful and compelling, the main glue of which is the Holy Spirit. The spirituality of creation leads our trinitarian relationships to contribute to realizing the dream that God has for our earth. This also leads to new lifestyles based on mutual caring and healing and rooted in concrete criteria for our choices: gratitude and gift, hospitality and welcoming, temperance in consuming and being part of a network of co-responsibility.  

The healing charism, which sees the needs and knows how to bend toward others in order to heal was also witnessed to by Sr. Maria Atorino’s experience. With images and concrete experiences, Sr. Maria led us to appreciate a bit of life in Dumaguete, Philippines. Then there was an update about the April Associates’ National Gathering in Greccio; this was described through sharing and exchange in the Franciscan spirit. We were also informed about the preparation of the International Conference “Healing Gift: Today and Beyond,” which will be held in 2011.  

It was a life-filled gathering, concluding with a prayer of thanksgiving. As each one put a pinch of salt in a basin filled with water, we “honored the community of life” through our own life and the gift of ourselves, with the communal and deep commitment to live Gospel-Based relationships in love, conversion, trust, forgiveness and welcoming, in a peaceful exchange of healing.

Concluding prayer: each one dissolves a pinch of salt in a water basin

Srs. Anna Ingoglia and Loredana Giugliano honor the gift of water during prayer