School is getting ready to end and for the young graduates of the diocese of Acireale the moment of the much feared final exams is getting closer and closer: pens, dictionaries, notes scattered everywhere fill the desks as formulas and authors fill the minds of the students. Cross and delight of hundreds of young men and women, maturity is a fundamental stage that marks the border between adolescence and adulthood.
And although for many it will be one “night of tears and prayers” and for others the certainty is that “mathematics will never be my profession”, as Venditti sang in the song that has become an anthem for entire generations, it is impossible not to think of this moment as one of the main turning points in life. The Diocese of Acireale offers to accompany young people to pass the test of maturity which, like the Rubicon of Roman memory, marks a decisive step towards the future. Through the youth ministry service led by Don Orazio Sciaccathe invitation addressed to pupils from schools within the diocesan territory is as usual High School Graduates’ Festivalbetween reflections and donated pens.
Give yourself the best in life / a party for the Diocese’s graduates
The party, organized in collaboration with the school ministry, put the theme at the center “Give yourself the best in life!”inspired by 143rd step of the Christus Vivitthe apostolic exhortation that Pope francesco addressed to young people during 2019. “Exams are a crucial moment in a student’s life because they mark the transition from high school to the university or working world – He says Don Orazio Sciaccadirector of the youth ministry of Acireale -. At this stage, any encouragement is precious. A pen may seem like a banal object, but it can become a symbol of trust and hope, reminding students that they are not alone in this challenge”.
Don Orazio’s words were followed by those of the teacher Barbara Condorellidirector ofoffice for school pastoral care: “Knowing that someone cared about your kids and wanted to contribute to their success can help students feel part of a larger support network that includes teachers, parents, and the entire school community.”.
Acireale and the High School Graduates’ Festival / The pens are a symbol of graduation
The structure of the party, which took place in the morning in parish of Jesus the Worker of Giarre and in the late afternoon in the parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Acireale, is simple but dynamic. The students, in most cases accompanied by their professors, were welcomed into the church where the party began with a collective karaoke, which saw the young people invited to sing the notes of the best-known songs from the last Sanremo festival. This was followed by the entertaining welcome call, during which the schools were called and their students encouraged to make themselves heard and show their contagious joy amidst choruses and applause. Two guests were invited to speak to the young graduates, Don Salvatore Grasso And Santina Bartolone.
“We fall in love with something, with someone, with a dream and for this reason when you deal with your gifts you are invited to give the best of yourselves, so that this love can explode and fill your life“, said the young priest in his speech. Santina, who in describing her illness also highlighted the courage to start over and rediscover oneself even in facets of life not otherwise imaginable, was instead the maternal voice who encouraged the kids not to close any doors, believing in their own potential and to invent new ones.
In the music chosen a hymn of love and hope
The musical choice that acted as a trait de union between the various moments of the party was fundamental. If the beginning was entrusted to the most lively and light Sanremo songs, it is in the words of “paleojar” by Renato Zero which fulfills the reflection dictated by Don Grasso. There is no party without music and, as in the most joyful of traditions, it is entrusted with an important role: to nuance and mitigate the words heard, leaving the children the possibility of assimilating them even by singing together.
“The lower the starting point / The higher the climb / But I hope the view is worth it / All this effort / I don’t know what love is / But sometimes I feel it / In a sunset a look at a record / If I look around / I think I’m lucky / I don’t know who created the world but I know he was in love“
With the words of the song “dream boy dream” in Roberto Vecchioni’s version together with Alfa the moment of testimonies ends. The final blessing of the pens and the graduates, entrusted to Don Orazio Sciacca and Msgr. Russo, marked the end of the party amid the applause and smiles of the kids.
Monsignor Agostino Russo’s message to young people
Present at both moments mgr. Agostino Russovicar general of the Diocese of Acireale, who in giving his greetings before handing over the pens to the graduates addressed the children present as follows: “For you, what you will experience during the final exam is an important moment. Important but not decisive in your life, however. We don’t know what will happen to us tomorrow, but we are called to be responsible for the future.
Dear young people, look at the meaning of this responsibility. The Lord calls us to make a small but precious contribution to the world. We are like pieces of a mosaic, each piece must fit into the right place. If this piece does not fall into place, the whole is incomplete. We are responsible for the harmonious completeness of this project. Dear guys, best wishes“.
Chiara Costanzo
