Gianluca De Vizio – A long-awaited moment, prepared in detail and with the will of those who really want to change, together, the fate of a city like Alife, in defense of the common good. This was the spirit of the parish assembly wanted by the pastoral council of the parish, held yesterday in the Cathedral of Alife entitled “Raise the walls of Jerusalem”, taken from Psalm 51.
The assembly was chaired by Don Emilio Salvatore, a collaborator of the parish priest Don Pasquale Rubino for some months. The Bishop HE Mons. Giacomo Cirulli also participated in the assembly, who appreciated the work that the parish is doing: after two difficult years of pandemic and after an international situation that seems, once again, to upset everyone’s agendas and awaken the right worries, this is the time to start over, for raise the walls of the social and ecclesial community. The walls are a symbol of divine protection, they give a feeling of security and peace. Those of Alife were probably erected after the conquest of Sannio by Silla in the second decade of the first century. to. C., a period to which the first evidences of the Roman colony of Alife date back; over the centuries these walls have been destroyed due to war or natural events, yet they have always been rebuilt.
Therefore, the invitation to raise these walls again, working together, because nothing can be built alone: for this reason all the associations, movements and professionals operating in the area were invited. During the debate various reflections on the local situation emerged: the progressive removal of people (especially young people) who do not find suitable job opportunities for their training: this entails a continuous impoverishment in terms of human resources and variety in professional skills; emptying of the historic center and loosening of the social relational fabric; lack of opportunities for discussion on issues that affect the community; also little will to engage in the social and political life of the country; lack of physical spaces that can facilitate meeting and comparison.
The Parish will return to meet and reflect together and to take new steps with formative proposals starting from the reading of collective needs.
If, with the grace of the Lord, with the eyes of faith, we strive to discover the fullness in which we are, we must let ourselves be carried away by this historical dynamic.
Dynamics that show us where history is going and help us understand how to anticipate it in fraternity and justice (Carlo Maria Martini)
A parish assembly in Alife to “rebuild” the Community • Clarus