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Pforzheim – For the first time, the Italian community and the German friends of our town and district celebrated October 24th as an official event for the whole community. Both confreres have been fully immersed in the details of this celebration. Fr. Rocky is now converting his Indian driver‘s license into a German license to become mobile for a larger pastorate in the northern part of the MCI territory where eight villages with nearly five hundred Italians are waiting for regular holy Masses in periodic sequence. Furthermore, Fr. Rocky has had the chance to accompany a group of believers from our parish to the Marian Shrine of Medjugorie in Croatia. The photograph shows the group in front of the well known shrine. Every year, thousands pilgrims travel there where apparently the Virgin Mary appears frequently to the vigilent. Although the Vatican has not yet given a formal approval to these apparitions, the Marian devotion attracts yearly devotees from everywhere. The Italian community has been pilgrimaging there for two decades, and now our Guanellian parish priests have continued to cultivate this devotion.
As far the activities of our procure are concerned, on September 14th we had the chance to make a stop in front of the burial shroud of our Founder and that of Blessed Clara at Como. During the long and silent colloquy with Saint Louis Guanella, Inge and I asked for his intercession and spiritual help in order to overcome our unforseen difficulties. I have promised our holy Founder that I would not give up until my other dreams in Germany and in other parts of the world are carried out.
In Como we also met with Brother Mauro, who was preparing his few belongings before joining our Manila Community where he has now arrived, and has been received by our dear confrere Fr. Charlton Viray. From him and previously from Fr. Luigi De Giambattista, we came to know that the so called “Don Mimì Project for Children of Leperous Parents” is starting to form and slowly headed in the right direction. It is an inter-congregational project between the FMM, the Franciscan Sisters of Tala and our Manila-Philippines Houses. I have already received part of the file from Sister Cecille Martinez, and as soon as all of the documents are here, we’ll start our submissions and requests for additional funds from the German Relief agencies. One part of the legacy left by Sister Giulietta Saginario has now arrived at its destination. I am convinced that Fr. Mimì laughed when he heard the news! From Mexico we received a new request for financial help from our new Guanellian parish church. We’ll convey the request of Fr. Andrés Velasco to the appropriate Department in the Archdiocese of Cologne, and hope to receive a substiantial donation. Asci Como and Puentes Spain have each granted 7000 Euros for the erection of a provisional barn until a more solid construction can be built through the help and efforts of the many friends of Fr. Velasco, now acting at Amozoc-Puebla.
May All-Saints show us the right path to the heavens and teach us everyday that the essence of our faith is an open heart to the needs of others, with open ears to the imploring voices of the Unknowns! Stay blessed and humble!
Regina Sactorum ora pronobis! Queen of all saints pray for us!
Gero Lombardo, German Guanellian Procura
Servants of Charity 