Catania (Italy). From 2 to 10 November 2024, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, in Sicily on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Beatification of Mother Maddalena Morano (5 November), visited some houses and realities of the Province of Mother Maddalena Morano (ISI).
She was welcomed on 2 November at the airport of Palermo by the Provincial, Sister Angela Maria Maccioni, and then she arrived at the House of Mary Help of Christians in Palermo-Arenella, where she was awaited by the FMA Community, the Parish Priest, the children, the oratory, members of the Educating Community, and friends and benefactors. After a floral tribute, the children expressed their joy through the singing and choreography of the song, “I Feel the Joy”. The Animator, Sister Lucia Siracusa, addressed her greeting expressing the joy of the entire pastoral reality for the presence of the Mother among them. In the courtyard, the various pastoral realities then presented themselves in an original way with music, dances, and short sporting performances on the theme of creation. “There is a large and not to be taken for granted presence,” Mother exhorted, since it was the day of 2 November.
In the afternoon, she went to Saint Joseph Retirement Home, welcomed by the Sisters of Mother Mazzarello and Mary Help of Christians Communities. To the three communities of Palermo gathered there, Mother recalled the great gift of the celebration of Perpetual Vows, the next day. Mother also gave some news of the Sisters spread throughout the world, committed to educating and evangelizing, inviting prayer for many who live on war fronts, in political adversity, with precarious means of subsistence, or who suffer religious persecution.
Sunday 3 November, in the solemn Celebration presided by the Provincial of the Salesians of Don Bosco of Sicily, Fr. Giovanni D’Andrea, and concelebrated by many Salesian confreres in the chapel of Mother Mazzarello House in Palermo, Mother Chiara received the Perpetual Vows of Sister Maria Di Caro. At the end of the religious service, a representative of the Educating Community of Palermo, Mother Mazzarello, made the gift of an offering to Mother for the Sisters in Lebanon.
In the afternoon, Mother was welcomed by Mary Help of Christians community of Pietraperzia, Enna. Along with the religious community, present were the President of the provincial committee of the PGS of Caltanissetta, the president of the union of the Past Pupils, and the local coordinator of the Salesian Cooperators. During a simple family moment, she was given some manual work that the Past Pupils and the Salesian Cooperators carry out in the afternoon workshops for charitable and formative initiatives. During the meeting with the Community, it was reported that the first 17 unaccompanied foreign children from sub-Saharan countries arrived at the FMA Community of Agrigento, prepared for reception in collaboration with the Prefecture of the city.
On the morning of 4 November, Mother Chiara visited the SAI Center run by the lay association “Don Bosco 2000” in Pietraperzia, welcomed by migrant women and children, volunteers, workers, and very grateful Salesian Cooperators founding members of the Association. The Association was born in fact by taking on the management the Salesian oratory of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of Piazza Armerina.
Mother then reached the community of Mary Help of Christians in Caltagirone, where she got to know the educative commitment of the Community through the Nest and the Kindergarten and visited the Sisters of the retirement Home
In the afternoon, she met the Sisters of the “Retirement Home Mary Help of Christians of Acireale, Catania. By a happy coincidence, the Community had begun its prayer turn of the Salesian vocational week under the patronage of Blessed Morano. The presence of Mother was a gift for the Sisters that strengthened the bond of communion with the whole Institute.
In the evening, she reached Mary Help of Christians Community of the Provincial House of Catania. To welcome her, together with the FMA, a representation of the Educating Community and friends of the Salesian work who expressed appreciation to Mother for the added value of attention to the person that characterizes the School and the Houses of the FMA.
On 5 November Mother went to Messina, to Mary Help of Christians Community, where she urged the elderly and sick FMA not to be discouraged, as a Sister summarizes, “Mother reminds us that we are the true treasures of the Institute. Our prayer is a precious support, a “lightning rod” that protects and saves many young people. We must never think of being useless; what we offer is fundamental.”
In the afternoon, she participated in the solemn Eucharistic celebration on the 30th anniversary of the Beatification of Mother Morano (5 November 1994), presided by the Archbishop of Catania, Mons. Luigi Renna, at the Parish of St. Agatha at Borgo of Catania. He addressed a special thanks to the parish priest and to those who made the service solemn: Salesian confreres, priests of the Catanese Church, members of the Salesian Family, a representation of the pastoral reality of Biancavilla, the children of the FMA Oratory John Paul II who animated the liturgy with singing.
On 6 November, she lived two events celebrating the 125th of FMA presence in Barcelona Pozzo di Gotto, Messina, where the Sisters manage a family home for minors. The first was held at the Town Hall, where the Mayor presented to Mother a plaque and identified the road named Blessed Mother Maddalena Morano.
In the afternoon, at the Salone Teatro della Casa, there was a conference on “Foster care as a territorial resource, between acts of love, right, and responsibility”. Addressing the authorities, speakers, and attendees, Mother highlighted the importance of the family environment and the need to offer, to those who have been deprived of this good, the experience of a serene family. Don Bosco wanted his institutions to be called Houses, that is places where children and young people can grow up in peace. Mother Morano, with a feminine touch, carried forward these values learned from Don Bosco, whom she knew personally and with whom she had spoken several times. Mother also released an interview at “Radio Giò”, run by the children of the FMA Oratory and the News Agency “AM notizie Video”.
On 7 November, in the Provincial House of Catania, Mother met with the Provincial Council, with whom she discussed some aspects common to the Italian Provinces. In the afternoon, she visited the Sisters of Saint John Bosco Retirement Home, who welcomed her with emotion. Here, the Sisters of the two communities inserted in peripheral contexts of the city of Catania, St. John Paul II and Blessed Maria Troncatti, also came to listen to the words of Mother and live a time of conviviality.
Welcomed by the Animator, Sister Maria Pisciotta, by the teachers and students of the first level secondary school, on 8 November Mother arrived in the house of the heart of Mother Maddalena Morano: Alì Terme (Messina). Here, the meeting with the Animators on the theme ‘In synodality and communion’ took place. A frequent exhortation of Mother concerned the commitment to maintain quality relationships, an aspect to which the recent Final Document of the Synod devotes a large part.
On 9 November, the FMA from 1 to 20 years of Profession, convened from different parts of Sicily, dialogued with Mother Chiara, who presented the theme, ‘A dream between Exodus and hope’.
In the afternoon, there was the Celebration of lighting by Mother, of the votive lamp placed in the chapel that guards the remains of Blessed Morano, which will burn until the day of her canonization. A symbolic gesture of involvement to make known and pray for the one who contributed in a wonderful way to spread the Charism in Sicily, as the Provincial pointed out.
The FMA of the ISI Province’s gratitude for the Visit of Mother:
Thank you, Mother Chiara, for your continued self-donation to our Province! You lived intense encounters with all the elderly or sick Sisters, moments of daily life and celebrations of the thirty years of the beatification of the one who, with the first missionary Sisters in Sicily, spread the charism of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello. Our daily prayer for you has never been lacking and will not be lacking, and we are certain of yours for us!
Grazie Madre Chiara per il tuo ulteriore donarti alla nostra Ispettoria! Hai vissuto incontri intensi con tutte le sorelle anziane o ammalate, momenti di vita quotidiana e celebrativi dei trent’anni della beatificazione di colei che, con le prime sorelle missionarie in Sicilia, ha diffuso il Carisma di Don Bosco e Madre Mazzarello. La nostra preghiera quotidiana per te non è mai mancata e non mancherà, e siamo certe della tua per noi!
Photos: Flickr FMA
