Subiaco (Italy). On 12 June 2022, the Educating Community of San Biagio House of Prayer in Subiaco, Rome, celebrated the 150th anniversary of the FMA Institute and the closure of the pastoral year 2021-2022.

The day began with welcoming those who in the course of the year participated in the various activities proposed by the House: the young ‘seekers of meaning’, participants in the ‘Journey of Light’ with meditations and reflections based on films and on the Word of God; the couples who monthly paused to re-read their conjugal life with the Lectio and the renewal of their marriage vows with the blessing of their wedding bands; adults – lay people and consecrated men and women – who experienced Lectio on the Acts of the Apostles during the year; the iconographers who met every first week of the month to study and contemplate the face of Jesus, the Word made flesh; the very young for the days of ‘Laudate Si’’ who take care of creation through work in maintaining the hermitage.

After the greetings of the Animator of the Community, Sr. Vilma Colombo, a short film was viewed on the life of Mary Domenica Mazzarello and the continuation of her work in the world, thanks to the passion and dedication of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.

Afterwards, Sr. Mimica Oblak, of Mother Angela Vespa Community of Rome, of the Preprovince Mary Mother of the Church (RMC), gave the Lectio on Chapter 28 of the Acts of the Apostles, leaving the participants with some stimulating questions to experience over the summer period. After the Lectio, everyone lived an hour of ‘desert’ which ended with community sharing and lunch in joy and fraternity.

In the afternoon, Fr. Marco Panero, Salesian of Don Bosco, presided over the solemn Eucharistic Celebration in which the FMA renewed their religious vows, the couples had their rings blessed and their marriage vows and, at the conclusion of the Holy Mass, there was the blessing of the icons, fruit of the year’s work.

At the end, the FMA gave the participants a small souvenir of the 150th anniversary of the FMA Institute. In saying goodbye, the recurring phrase among the participants was “see you in September”, when the annual activities will resume. “We thank those who passed through our home this year, even just for a day or a night, giving us life, stories, time, and help. Wishing you a good journey, we invite you to come back again for next season to continue together”, was the salutation of the FMA.

During the summer, San Biagio House of Prayer ‘does not go on vacation’, but continues to offer a rich calendar of activities, with Spiritual Exercises for lay people and consecrated persons, iconography courses for beginners, advanced, and young people, and many other initiatives to be in contact with creation and with the Word of God, in the joy of the Salesian charism.

Website

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.