Conegliano (Italy). On November 25, 2018 at Immaculata School of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the formation day for the Past Pupils Federations of Conegliano and Padova took place on the theme Joy fruit of peace.
The day was organized by Sr. Eleonora Tonello, Past Pupil Delegate for St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello Province (ITV) and the Federation Councils of Conegliano and Padova, and animated by Sr. Maria Luisa Miranda, General Councilor for the Salesian Family, and Sr. Gabriela Patiño, Past Pupil Delegate.
About 180 past pupils participated and spent the day listening to the words of Sr. Maria Luisa Miranda on the theme, “Joy fruit of peace”, working in groups in the workshops, and presenting the synthesis in assembly.
The reflections that emerged suggest how to become artisans of peace. It is necessary to begin with ourselves by cultivating meekness, patience, humility, mercy, the capacity for mediation, understanding, acceptance, listening, and forgiveness. To bring peace in the family, in the work place, in the civil community, we must first build peace within ourselves, accepting our own fragility and knowing how to forgive. In this way, we are able to accept others as they are and not how we would want them to be, with their pluses and their limitations.
Peace is a gift of the Risen Christ, a gift that He obtained with His death on the Cross. Building peace requires knowing how to die to self so that ‘we’ may emerge and thus obtain unity.
“We want to commit ourselves to Peace to build the Kingdom of God, which is Truth, Love, and Joy. Only a peaceful heart can taste true joy to which we all aspire and is the fruit of peace. Those who want to have joy in their heart, must strive to build peace”.
In conclusion, Sr. Gabriela Patiño presented to the participants the reality of the Past Pupils in other countries, showing the potential for good that the FMA Past Pupils have.
