We are happy to share in our Oasis news the commitment of Comunita’ Dialogo in promoting the World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW) in Italy.
After the martyrdom of Fr. Salvatore in Zamboanga (Mindanao, Philippines-1992) a group of friends of Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME and Fr. Salvatore Carzedda, PIME started in Sicily a group called “Comunita’ Dialogo” under the leadership of Prof. Rodano Riccardo, a student of the seminary where Fr. Sebastiano and Fr. Salvatore started their mission in Sicily.
Along the years, Comunita’ Dialogo has been in the front line to promote the “Coordinamento delle Religioni” (coordination among religions) in the area of Catania and Sicily.
In the February of last year, Comunita’ Dialogo started a very impressive project called, “Aria Religiosa”. In this project, they put in a form of circle on the parking area of the hospital ground which is divided in ten parts, representing the different religions. In the middle is an olive tree which signifies peace.
The beginning of the WIHW and other initiatives brought messages of dialogue among religions in schools and communities became relevant on regional and national level.
In this spirit, it gives me the possibility to share the new event of September 11, 2022 when different leaders of different religions, different Catholic movements and groups gathered together for an annual reflection where they asked me also to share my experience.
In that occasion, I was able to share some points of my experience in Mindanao and I presented to the group, a new effort of the Emmaus Dialogue Movement to start the mission in Catania and introduced Elizabeth ( Beth ) L. Solis, a lay consecrated of Emmaus Dialogue Movement who is now in Catania to study theology and start the mission of Emmaus together with Comunita’ Dialogo, giving priority to the Filipinos and other Catholic foreigners. She will present the “mission on the road” and invite them to join us and be integrated. We presented a new brochure of Emmaus in Italian which also shared the link between Comunita’ Dialogo and the Emmaus Dialogue Movement.
All these developments became possible with the blessing of the Archbishop of Catania and the support of the different leaders of religions and other Catholic groups.
In this context Prof. Rodano Riccardo presented the WIHW and encouraged the participants to start also in Catania and Sicily.
Personally, I was touched by the enthusiasm and the positive disposition of all.
I hope that by sharing this experience that we started in Zamboanga, guided by the initiative of the United Nations of 2010 that encourages all to promote the Love of God, the Love of Neighbors and the Love of the Common Good. We can help many in the Philippines, in Italy and other parts the word to do their best in the concrete situation where they are.
For more information see the website, www.harmonlink.info.
Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME