A story that begins in 1974 and develops up to the present day with an eye towards the future, telling the story of a community of volunteers who accompanies and directs the most fragile people in the area of the Archdiocese of Catania towards a full recovery of their existence. The Diocesan Caritas of Catania, which in the last year has carried out over 350 thousand interventions, celebrates its fifty years of service, embodying the multiple ways of helping those most in need, thanks also to the 8xthousand to the Catholic Church, to donations from citizens, companies and collaboration with third sector associations. It was discussed this afternoon, at the Archbishop’s Seminary of the Clerics of Catania, where the meeting “Half a century of love – 50th anniversary of the Diocesan Caritas of Catania” was held which represented an opportunity to relive the moments together most significant in the history of the diocesan charity organization in the presence of civil and religious institutions, including the prefect of Catania, Maria Carmela Librizzi, and the archbishop, mons. Luigi Renna.
“Today we ‘sing’ a story – highlighted the archbishop – which ‘walks on the legs’ of the men and women who are or have been directors, deputy directors, volunteers who in the diocesan centers which ensure constant proximity to the poorest brothers or in parish communities, they are the people of God who embody the greatest virtue”. The meeting, moderated by the journalist Adelaide Barbagallo, also had a moment dedicated to the communication of solidarity with Salvo La Rosa and Giuseppe Castiglia and brought attention of the public the testimonies of volunteers and beneficiaries which were introduced by the intervention of the director of Caritas, Don Nuccio Puglisi “Fifty years have passed – said the director -, and the poor children who were ten years old then are sixty years old. but many of them are still poor because, simply, we all continue to call them that. Celebrating this anniversary will mean admitting that, in fifty years, poverty has increased in the most subtle, invisible, digital connotations of poverty”.
A poverty that is evolving and intensifying in a worrying manner. The latest survey by Caritas services, released last May, highlighted in a structured way the economic and social difficulties of the city: +119 thousand interventions carried out between 2019 and 2023, going from 237 thousand to 356 thousand, marking a +34%. Numbers that testify to the commitment of hundreds of volunteers. The Help Center, in Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII, is a social emergency room that guarantees assistance, breakfast, dinner, clothing, baby products, toilets and a change of clothing. In addition to low-threshold services, there are also more complex forms of support aimed at directing guests towards independent recovery: reception for women who are victims of violence against minors, consultancy dedicated to handling bureaucratic procedures, financial support for payment of utilities, legal and psychological consultancy and banking mediation through microcredit. “In a memorable speech to the Italian Caritas – concluded Mgr. Renna -, Saint Paul VI said: ‘Above the purely material aspect of your activity, its prevalent pedagogical function must emerge’. What it can mean: that Does Caritas give us a report on the country’s poverty every year and train volunteers? Also, but not only: it teaches each community that it is called to relive the experience of the Acts of the Apostles, who ‘sold their goods and distributed them to poor. And among them there was no needy person.”
Today was another day of great emotional intensity for volunteers and guests. During the morning, thanks to the collaboration with the youth ministry, meetings dedicated to young people will take place at the Help Center of the central station to talk about the importance of the daily service of hundreds of volunteers. At 5pm at the church of San Nicolò l’Arena in Catania (piazza Dante Alighieri 12), the Eucharistic celebration will be held and a subsequent moment of fraternal agape with the guests.
