Mission Animation at the summer youth club (“oratorio”) at Montemurlo (Italy)
Who are the missionaries? Why do they leave everything behind? Where are they? What is the daily life of our peers in Africa? These are some of the questions along the "ideal travel", from Italy to the mission lands, of the 300 children and young people who, guided by their leaders, attended the summer youth club (“oratorio”) at Montemurlo, in Tuscany, June 9 to 28.
The day would begin at 8.30 am with the arrival of the first children and teens, who filled the hall and the courtyard; then all would go to the parish church, adjacent to the “oratorio”, to kick off the day with a prayer session.
Songs and action songs were taught, ... and the "journey" was divided into four short stages.
All started on Monday with the introduction and the explanation of the various stages: plan of the activities, how to approach “this new world” and the places that would be “marked”.
On the second stage, a video presentation showed the day of the children of the Central African Republic highlighting the differences between them and the Italian children . The children were able to "accompany" a Central African child in his daily life: the path to reach the school made of straw after walking for several miles in the forest, until they returned home in the afternoon. The day for those children then would go on: some would go fetch water, some to gather the straw for the roof, some would make bricks for the church or the school, some would take care of their younger brothers. Finally in the evening: the boys "virtually" walked noiselessly into their homes, they would look at their dinner, their games, the difficulties caused by poverty, by the diseases, and they were witnesses of their "joy of living”.
Eventually, on the third and fourth stage, the attention was given to the missionary: who he is, why he leaves his country, where he lives now ... Some missionaries living in Central African Republic and then in Thailand were introduced; they gave a short account of their work in the past and of what they are doing now, from the little projects to the great works.
The mission animators met also the Saint Vincent de Paul group of the parish. After a brief presentation of the Betharram mission in Thailand, they spoke of the activities of the "Holy Family Catholic Center" Pong Ngam (where Fr Alberto Pensa SCJ carries out his mission) and of the formation and of vocation promotion conducted in the Seminary of Sampran (Bangkok). The group decided to support the studies of a young seminarian who has just begun his journey to the priesthood.
This is what Mission is also about: little and great signs of hope!
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