Rome (Italy). Sr. Chiara Cazzuola, Vicar General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, through a letter reached the Provincials, the Superiors of Preprovinces, and all the FMA and Educating Communities of the FMA Institute present in the five Continents, to share the theme of the 2021 Feast of Gratitude and the indications for its preparation and implementation.
The Feast of Gratitude 2021 will take place on April 25, 2021 in Rome, at “Mother Angela Vespa” House, see of the Pontifical Faculty of Education Sciences “Auxilium”
The theme Networked, for a culture of life draws on the experience of Don Bosco who by founding his works, in particular the Salesian Congregation and the FMA Institute, gave rise to a worldwide network to create alliances and synergies in an educational mission that had the face of a “great Ecclesial and civil ‘movement’ open to all available energies, ultimately to all people of good will, able to share the same concerns, perhaps motivated by different reasons, and to participate to some extent in the realization of the common enterprise, albeit referring to diverse organizations or operating individually” (Braido Pietro, Il progetto operativo di Don Bosco e l’utopia della società cristiana, Roma, LAS 1982, 33).
Our Institute was born in the awareness of being part of the great network of the Church and the world. The concern to maintain the unity of the charism in its progressive incarnation in other cultures, prompted him to favor communication and exchange through Circular Letters, the dissemination of the Salesian Bulletin, the drafting of the Newsletter, the Institute Directory, the visits of the Superiors.
The network, born from the small town of Mornese, has been growing and developing to guarantee its vitality and charismatic quality. The strong sense of belonging and the family spirit have given the FMA a clear awareness of their identity and educational mission in favor of the integral promotion of the young, inspired by the prophetic experience of Mary D. Mazzarello.
Being online today is not only a need that comes from the charismatic identity, but it is one of the most precious resources to value our best creative and collaborative energies in giving answers to the ‘educational catastrophe’ originated by the pandemic and social, political, and economic problems.
The LOGO highlights some elements that have characterized the service of our Mother and the mission of the Institute. First of all we notice the world that speaks of the universality and internationality of the Institute. On the globe, meridians and parallels intertwine that recall the appearance of a robust network and that makes us think of the unity that Mother has woven slowly, slowly with care and wisdom.
A hand envelops the world and embraces it with tenderness and grace. It represents the laborious and generative hands of all the FMA to whom a wonderful educational mission has been entrusted.
From the sun the hand draws charisma and strength to develop the culture of life in the world.
A rose blooms from the very life of the mission as a sign of gratitude and of joy in giving.
The World Feast of Gratitude, which will be under the banner of hope highlights this reality from the point of view of the cultural, formative mission that characterizes Mary Mother of the Church Preprovince and is concentrated in the service of the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences Auxilium networked with the Institutions of Higher Studies (ISS-FMA) of the FMA Institute in the world.
The mandate “I entrust them to you” that marks the journey of preparation for the 150th anniversary of the Foundation of the FMA Institute (1872-2022), in this time of the Covid-19 Pandemic, urges every Educating Community to support the educational mission with creativity and in all possible ways.
This is the climate to prepare to celebrate the Feast of Gratitude on a global level, giving praise to God for Mother, tireless promoter of enterprising, joyful, and creative love. From now, the choral Thank you and the prayer of the FMA Institute go to Mother Yvonne.
Letter of the Vicar General-World Feast of Gratitude 2021
In the next few days on the FMA Institute website, you will find the material and information necessary for to prepare and carry out the event.
Ci sarò
Grazie, originale impostazione in relazione con la nostra realta’ attuale, bisognosa di potenziamento di amore alla vita secondo il progetto di Dio per la natura in genere e per la natura umana. Sono contenta che anche quest’anno la nostra filiale GRATITUDUNE e’ direttamenta espressa per l’amata Madre Yvonne. Il disagio del contagio Covid-19 ha deviato le impostazioni del programma del nostro Istituto, considerando particolarmente la preparazione e lo svolgimento del CG XXIV. Tuttavia e’ stata una ulteriore opportunita’ per ricevere la testimonianza da parte della Madre, delle Consigliere generalizie, delle animatrici autorevoli e le consorelle in tutte le ispettorie della loro capacita’ nell’ accogliere tale disagio con sapienza, prudenza, adattamento innovativo. Grazie alle sorelle della visitatoria Maria Madre della Chiesa per il tema e l’impostazione di questa celebrazione; grazie a Sr. Chiara che ne media l’animazione e la realizzazione.