16 countries, 5 continents. These are the origins of the 18 families who took part, from 6 to 24 July, in the Loppiano Family Experience: the Loreto School’s summer programme for leaders of the New Families Movement.
by Tamara Pastorelli
“It was a truly profound experience that led me to reflect deeply on myself, to ask myself many questions about my role as a parent and husband: am I really giving my all for my children and my wife?” Alfeo is a nurse, a profession he shares with his wife, Mary Rose. They have been married since 2015 and have two little girls. They are both Filipino but live in Canada, where they met. “Often, in the hustle and bustle of daily life, our conversations are nothing more than a quick ‘hand-over’ at the front door, at the end or start of our respective shifts. Here, we’ve had the opportunity to pause, to delve deeper, to look after our family,” says Mary Rose gratefully during one of the sharing groups.
The Cachos are just one of 18 families, from various countries around the world, who took part in the third edition of the summer school for leaders of the New Families Movement, the Loppiano Family Experience, which took place in the citadel from 6 to 24 July. Three very full weeks of shared life, formation (lessons in Italian with translations into English, French, Spanish and Arabic), play, and moments of prayer and spirituality. An intercultural workshop amongst families that also involved the 39 children present, who took part in a programme tailored to their different ages. “I thought we kids would have to do things that were more boring than what we normally do on holiday, but we actually had a really good time!” admits Francesco, aged 10, from Velletri in Italy. His brother, Alberto, who is two years younger, found the four-hour journey to Loppiano a bit tiring, but he has no doubts when he declares with conviction that “it was well worth it”. For mum Antonia, a midwife, and dad Armando, a carabiniere, the experience was also a positive one: “The topics were so relevant! They addressed the realities that families face today, at least in Italy. The desire we held in our hearts when we came here was to learn, not just for our own sake, but also so that we could be of service to other families in the New Families Movement in our area and in the local church.”
Looking through the programme, there really are so many ‘hot’ topics explored in depth: communication within the couple, bringing up children, the relationship with the media, the protection of life, bioethics, and the physical, emotional and sexual development and upbringing of pre-teens and teenagers. There are also many opportunities to explore the spirituality of unity and to discover the support and accompaniment offered by the New Families Movement: for engaged couples, young couples, families, couples facing difficulties, those who are separated, and parents of LGBT children.
On Sunday 19 July, they also attended at the Angelus at Castel Gandolfo, with a greeting from Pope Leo XIV. This ‘pilgrimage’ continued with a visit to the chapel of the Focolare Movement’s International Centre and to Chiara’s house.
“We took the invitation to take part as a proposal made directly to us by God. We couldn’t refuse.” Some took four hours to get here, others four days. This is the case for Tatiana and Landry, who, with their children Jean-Baptiste, Joshua and Anne-Elisa, come from a small island in New Caledonia, in the Pacific Ocean. “Loppiano is a little paradise on earth,” Tatiana remarks enthusiastically. “Back home, when you climb a hill, you turn round and see the sea. When I turned round here, it seemed strange not to see the sea, but at the same time I felt at home. It was wonderful to form one big family together with all the other families from all over the world.” Landry is also grateful for this: “The experiences of others, including those of the organising committee, have been truly precious gifts for us, treasures to fill our suitcases with on our return.”
Even the major issues of the international agenda were not left out of the Loppiano Family Experience. “What can I do, today, to build peace?”, the participants asked themselves, together with their children. This question challenged families from countries at peace, but also those for whom ‘normality’ means conflict, war and the trampling of basic human rights. “The families from the Holy Land,” recalls a father from the organising team, “told us that their children, as soon as they arrived, asked if there were soldiers and if they were shooting. When they learnt there’s no war here, they started running up and down the little hills around here.”
Sasan and Sally are a young married couple who bravely travelled from Iraq with Sera, their little girl, just a few months old. They met in a Focolare group in the city of Erbil. He’s an engineer; she’s a dentist. “We decided to have this experience because, as new parents, we’re facing new challenges. We’ve also come to find a bit of peace…’. Sera bursts into tears; Sally takes her in her arms and begins to breastfeed her. Sasan continues his story: “Two days ago, the airport where we were due to land was targeted by Iranian forces because there’s an American base there. We live ten minutes from the airport, in the Christian neighbourhood of Ankawa, probably the last place inhabited by Christians in Iraq today. Drones fly over our homes and our workplaces. We live in a state of constant insecurity.” Despite all this, this experience has given them hope too. “We were deeply moved by the spirit of Loppiano,” explains Sally. It is stronger than the lessons, stronger than the topics covered, and stronger than the time we spent together. The greatest lesson came from the people of Loppiano, who are dedicated to giving. Whenever we asked for something, they would rush to help immediately. Not only that: they would leave without saying a word, going off to look for better choices. Then they would return and say: ‘We have these options; we can help you with these things too.’ Through their example, they taught us just how tangible love is, and we’ll never forget that.”
And Sasan concludes: “Back home, we want to try and do the same as them, even with people from other ethnic backgrounds or of other faiths. Thanks to this experience, Sally and I are no longer the same couple who arrived three weeks ago.”
