In the heart of the Church

The private audience with Pope Francis on January 7 is just a few days away.
Everything is almost ready, I ask Rosanna: «How do we go about mass that day? Am I looking for a parish in the area?». She looks at me and replies: «A parish? But no, we are St. Peter... ask St. Peter!». Right, how could I not think about it, in fact everything runs smoothly. But who to ask?

It seems strange, but all the friends that come to mind are more towards the Quirinale area. However, I remember Don Gabriele, rector of the major seminary in Rome.
I call him and he immediately tells me that to celebrate in St. Peter's he doesn't know anyone, he advises me to contact the rector of the minor seminary which is close to the Vatican. I call him right away and he too tells me right away that he has no idea, but he gives me this suggestion: «Type on Google: telephone sacristy of St. Peter's Basilica». Strange it didn't occur to me! With that sense of someone doing something in which they believe little, I ask Cristiana on the answering machine to call, and after a few hours the person in charge of the basilica celebrations calls me on my cell phone, regretting that he could not give us a side chapel as there were too many . However, he asks me if I'm available to celebrate the scheduled mass and if our manager would like to say hello. In short, our journey begins guided by the Holy Spirit! Arrives January 7th. Slowly we all find ourselves in St. Peter's Square in front of the great basilica. Well-known faces emerge from the great colonnade: people from the fraternity, volunteers, young people from half of Italy... We enter the basilica and look for the sacristy.

I understood that we would celebrate on the high altar, right under the large window depicting the dove of the Holy Spirit, I didn't want to get caught up in the emotion that would have put me in difficulty in living the preparation for the meeting with the Holy Father through mass, that moment had to make us enter into the atmosphere of prayer to continue in the next meeting. So I asked Fra Aniello, parish priest of San Pietro and known years ago in Assisi, if we could fill the benches on both sides of the presbytery.
He replied that there were no problems, that Ernesto, Rosanna and all the others. Here, with the Fraternity on the presbytery I felt at home, we were together in the heart of the Church, now it's easier to celebrate because we celebrate together! We celebrate the Eucharist with simplicity, I feel at home, I feel in the heart of Mother Church.
After mass we find ourselves at the bronze door and begin the long climb towards the meeting with the Holy Father. The Sala Clementina is beautiful.

Before long the doors are closed, the lights are turned up and here comes Francesco. He enters simply, has a heavy step, helps himself with a cane, but this doesn't prevent him from making a small detour to pet the children in the front row. The Pope reaches his place and the meeting begins.
Ernesto, very moved, takes the floor and in a few minutes talks about the heart of our Fraternity. He strikes me as the Pope listens attentively, even a grimace of amazement expresses all the amazement of him in listening to the aid brought to Ukraine. It is the only numerical data but it reaches the heart of him.

Then the Holy Father takes the floor and reads the discourse but he does it himself, sometimes interrupting himself and underlining some concept, he has a very paternal and affectionate attitude. He uses important words and beautiful images, but what strikes me is how much he emphasizes the spirituality of the Fraternity, the presence of the Lord in every activity, he well understands how charitable actions and solidarity are not the center of our action but a simple reflection of those who perceive themselves deeply loved, and can do nothing but love! The Spirit continues to lead! At the end Pope Francis greets us one by one, all 325, just like in the family.

Thank you Holy Father Francesco, thanks also to our Bishop Roberto and to Bishop Emeritus Cesare who with their presence contributed to that family atmosphere which made us feel so welcome in the heart of the Church. Thanks to the Holy Spirit, the Love of God in person, because we felt loved, wanted, desired above all by the Lord and by his Church.

Andrea Bisacchi
"In audience with Francis"
NP February 2023

"Good day" by Ernesto in St. Peter's

Dear friends, we are here in the heart of the Church, emotion accompanies the few words I will say.
We are here to pray that God's omnipotence envelops us with his Fatherly Presence, following his Son Jesus, with the power of the Holy Spirit.
We are here with Mary who immediately blessed Sermig, born with a precise desire: to do everything for God and therefore for the Church.
Everyone feels welcomed, everyone who is here to experience a moment of communion.
We are on a pilgrimage, we share the effort we have made to get here and what we will do. And this pilgrimage has followed our effort, our emotion.
There is the heart of the Church, the desire to start afresh with a better heart, more eager to do God's will.
We come from many different places. We are here as Sermig - Fraternity of Hope and a thought dedicated to all those people who were unable to come at the last moment. They are very sorry, but we put them first here. Good day.
I love you and good, if it's good, is forever, mine, ours is forever.

Ernesto Olivero

The Lord recognized in the little ones and in the poor

I consider Pope Francis' meeting with Ernesto and the young people, adults and families of Sermig a gift from the Lord that I experienced with joy and gratitude.
Ernesto's intervention was greatly appreciated by the Pope because it started from the heart and appeared very similar to what the Pope expressed in his speech. Among other things, I was very struck by the Pope's statement that, recalling the start of Sermig thanks to Ernesto, his wife Maria and the group of young people who with them started an enterprise considered impossible: that of changing the war arsenal that Turin possessed, with an arsenal of peace that gradually expanded to different parts of the world, he said «Sermig was born in Turin from a group of young people, but it would be better to say: from a group of young together with the Lord Jesus ... From the fruits it is clear that Sermig is not made by mere activism but space has been left for him (for the Lord): prayed to him, adored by him, recognized in the little ones and in the poor, welcomed among the marginalized".
The Pope affirmed the same thing, emphasizing Sermig's reference, to the action of the Lord and the Holy Spirit: «The arsenal of peace in Turin is the fruit of God's dream, we could say, of the Word of God».
I have always considered the harmony between the Pope and Ernesto and Sermig fundamental for the whole Church and every person of good will, but also for my ministry as archbishop of Turin. For this reason, the audience with the Holy Father and what he said to us is a further grace of God which will confirm what Sermig has given and continues to give to the Church and to the whole world.
In fact, today Sermig, in addition to the Arsenale della Pace in Turin, has given life to the Arsenale della Speranza in San Paolo in Brazil, to the Arsenale dell'Incontro in Madaba in Jordan and to the Arsenale dell'Armonia in Pecetto Torinese, bringing to the world the message of Peace and love towards all thanks to the Holy Spirit who changes the heart of every person of good will. But even here the Pope offered a precise commitment that Il Sermig has implemented since its inception: «We need someone well rooted in the gospel, a community of faith open to anyone and to a prayer that keeps the fire burning for everyone. This fire which is Jesus and burns forever".
May Mary, who has placed her abode in the headquarters of the arsenal of Turin, welcome the invitation of the Holy Father and always keep and accompany the Sermig, as a gift received from the Lord for his Church and the whole world.

Cesare Nosiglia archbishop emeritus of Turin