19 November 2018: a day of thought, fraternity and dialogue for about thirty Camillian religious novices and postulants of the Province of Sicily and Naples at the ‘Giovanni XXIII’ Institute of Acireale-Mangano (CT).

Two Camillian temporary professed were also present – Walter Vinci and Nicola Mastrocola – of the Province of Rome.

      The Provincial Assembly began with an introductory paper for the day’s deliberations given by the Salesian Don Giuseppe Buccellato, a lecturer in moral theology at the ‘S. Paolo’ Theological Centre of Catania. This paper addressed the topic of ‘blessed weakness’ as a necessary pre-condition for starting afresh, both in the personal life of a religious and in the communal life of a religious Province. This, for the speaker, is the conditio sine qua non for those who walk with authenticity on the itinerary of ‘human holiness’. This paper by Don Buccellato led the religious to engage in positive resonances and the wish to go even deeper into the subject.

After the celebration of Holy Mass and fraternal agape, in the afternoon a moment of communal dialogue was held. This was begun by the Provincial Superior, Fr. Rosario Mauriello, who offered his confreres a rich analysis of the importance of the Camillian Vocational Year that was underway and on the need to continue its spirit at both a personal and a Provincial level.

Br. Carlo Mangione then invited the religious present to find proposals so as to be able to continue in an ordinary way what had emerged during the Vocational Year. Reference was then made to the importance of parish Camillian missions for the sick, the riches of the presence of our religious in hospitals – where they still want us as chaplains, and of the possibility of doing catechesis, spiritual retreats, etc.

The day then ended with the prayers of Vespers presided over by the new deacon, Fr. Dario Giuseppe Malizia, who had the opportunity to offer his first and official homily.

In addition, the Provincial assembly also enjoyed the presence of two members of the General Consulta of the Order: Fr. Laurent Zoungrana – the Vicar General of the Order – and Br. Ignazio Santaolalla, who brought the greetings and blessing of Fr. Leocir Pessini, the Superior General. The novices resident in Messina, with their teacher Fr. Houbert, and the postulants of Acireale, were a very valuable presence for animation involving singing during the moments of common prayer.

The hope is that the pathway will now be followed of ‘human holiness’ on which, with initial reflections, we have set out together.

A solemn celebration of the Eucharist, with the ordination as a deacon of the Camillian religious Dario Malizia (18 November 2018).

Read also the article ‘witness’: From a lawyer to a priest, Palermo the story of a ‘missionary’ vocation in http://palermo.gds.it/2018/11/18/da-avvocato-a-sacerdote-da-palermo-la-storia-di-una-vocazione-missionaria_952788/

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