After the Angelus on Sunday, October 4, Pope Francis said, “Today concludes the Time of Creation, which began on September 1 and in which we celebrated a “Jubilee for the Earth” along with our brethren of other Christian Churches. (…) I rejoice at the initiatives that are being implemented today in various places.” Among these places, there was also our little city. Davide Chiarot, a young Italian who arrived in Loppiano for the school of formation of focolarini, tells us about the genesis and the “magic” of that afternoon.
The initiative was born from the shared desire not to let this “Time of Creation” launched by Pope Francis pass without the right emphasis. From September 1 to October 4, the universal Church wanted to dedicate a month to raise awareness on the themes of the protection of Creation, as expressed in the encyclical Laudato Si’. Adhering to what the Pope expressed, we also wanted to participate in this effort as a town. From the beginning, the desire to enhance the fruit of the summer work camp last August was natural, and thanks to the serious commitment of a good group of young people, this made Loppiano rediscover a new path in the forest that was called, not by chance: “The Ring of Laudato Si'”.
It is the perfect location for contemplation and admiration and living it, the beauty that surrounds us gives back to the citizens of Loppiano, the amazement and wonder that Nature always arouses in those who know how to stop and enjoy it. The afternoon program was inspired by the desire for simplicity, and discovery of the little city’s ecological countenance. Scattered along the route of the ring five “points of light” were proposed where one could get in touch with stories, ideas, suggestions, concrete experiences on the theme of the protection of Creation. The afternoon started with Holy Mass in the churchyard of Theotokos, caressed by the wind and the sunshine that the weather had given us and that then unfolded along the ring. There was the desire and the pleasure of being together, rediscovering little known spaces, enjoying and contemplating the beauty in which we were immersed. Beauty outside of us and among us! At the end of the afternoon a tree was planted, an almond tree, the first to bloom in spring, as a symbol of a commitment to continue on the path of an integral ecology. The relaxed atmosphere, the smiles, the recognized pleasure of being together, the gratitude expressed by many can confirm that the goal of the afternoon had been achieved.
It is the perfect location for contemplation and admiration and living it, the beauty that surrounds us gives back to the citizens of Loppiano, the amazement and wonder that Nature always arouses in those who know how to stop and enjoy it. The afternoon program was inspired by the desire for simplicity, and discovery of the little city’s ecological countenance. Scattered along the route of the ring five “points of light” were proposed where one could get in touch with stories, ideas, suggestions, concrete experiences on the theme of the protection of Creation. The afternoon started with Holy Mass in the churchyard of Theotokos, caressed by the wind and the sunshine that the weather had given us and that then unfolded along the ring. There was the desire and the pleasure of being together, rediscovering little known spaces, enjoying and contemplating the beauty in which we were immersed. Beauty outside of us and among us! At the end of the afternoon a tree was planted, an almond tree, the first to bloom in spring, as a symbol of a commitment to continue on the path of an integral ecology. The relaxed atmosphere, the smiles, the recognized pleasure of being together, the gratitude expressed by many can confirm that the goal of the afternoon had been achieved.
by Davide Chiarot