Yesterday was a day of great celebration for the parish of Sant’Antonio da Padova in Cerignola. After two years of work, the parish oratory named after the Paduan saint was inaugurated. Invited by the bishop of Cerignola-Ascoli Satriano, mons. Fabio Ciollaro, the special guest was Msgr. Giuseppe Baturi, archbishop of Cagliari and general secretary of the CEI.
The prelate celebrated mass in the parish of the same name and then moved to the new parish premises which were built thanks to financing from the 8×1000 funds to the Catholic Church. After the ritual blessing and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, the parish priest, Msgr. Carmine Ladogana, to introduce the guest, to thank him for his presence and to underline that without the financing of the CEI the work would not have been carried out. Hence the invitation to “make a gesture of love, through your signature in favor of the Catholic Church, because that signature not only makes you feel good but also allows you to make many other gestures of love”.
Photo of the Cerignola diocese
Immediately afterwards, the mayor of Cerignola, Francesco Bonito, spoke and underlined the positive impact on the entire city of the social and educational work that an oratory can carry out in the area. Taking the floor, Msgr. Baturi underlined that “the oratory is not a form or a thing but it is a meeting, because within it everyone expresses their abilities and creativity at the service of others. The educational service that an oratory carries out in the area is the meeting between different generations, but all tending to see the education of the youngest as something that starts from the heart, also because in it there must be no packaged schemes but everyone is called to use the language of life.” The evening concluded with Mgr. Ciollaro, who thanked Msgr. Baturi and underlined how “the completion of the work now begins in the various activities and through the children and young people who will find acceptance, availability and listening within the new structure”.
