The Diocese of Aversa celebrates the family feast with solemn mass, reflections and prayers

The annual event of the Diocesan Family Festival is renewed on Sunday 5 May 2024. Organized by the Office for the Pastoral Care of Family and Life of the Diocese of Aversa, the day will take place at the Sanctuary “My Madonna and My Salvation” of S. Cipriano d’Aversa – Casapesenna and will revolve around the theme “Family in presence… being there as a gift of self in the times and spaces of the family”.

A family “in presence” is one that has the Family of Nazareth as its model, as explained by Pope Francis, who urges spouses to be amazed by their union by “taking each other’s hands and looking into each other’s eyes for a few moments in the evening, with tenderness”, but also to be amazed “at the miracle of life, of children, finding time to play with them and listen to them”.

After the Eucharistic Celebration, which will open the day and which will be presided over by Bishop Angelo Spinillo, the spouses will experience a moment of in-depth study on the theme of the day led by Father Marco Vianelli, director of the National Office for the Pastoral Care of the Family. Not only couples, but also children will experience moments of reflection, discussion and dialogue on the proposed topic, with the guidance of expert operators and through differentiated paths depending on age. Before lunch, the topics and reflections that emerged separately will be at the center of a moment of discussion between parents and children.

In the afternoon, there will be space for the performance of “Vita… I believe you!”, a musical show created by the diocesan office and created in collaboration with some parishes and cultural entities of the diocese. As Father Vianelli himself recently stated, the family “is becoming increasingly aware of its being an outgoing Church, a frontier and a place of discussion and meeting through work, school and relationships”. Even more: by inhabiting the territory, the family “meets those ‘far away’, thus offering the Church an interpretation of their needs”.