In everyone's heart

# Dear Ernesto, yesterday I was so moved that I slept all afternoon when I got back. Never happened. I wondered why.
Why had I been to the Pope? No! The emotion was to see two elderly people, who have given their whole lives to Jesus with the same love for the little poor, finally meet and finally recognize each other. The emotion was having witnessed a day where the director and the absolute protagonist was the Holy Spirit: who wanted just yesterday, and not before or after, to give birth to a relationship between two people with the same dream.
The emotion was the certainty that even this meeting today would help the Pope, in a difficult moment once again, marked by scandals that touch him closely. Ernesto has arrived just now to give him a hand and also a hope.
Enough? No, that's not enough. The emotion was having seen 325 beautiful, clean people, full of good faith, all together in one go. 325 people who love the Lord with all their heart, soul and strength as the Shema says: words that the Jews translate: love the Lord without ulterior motives. If not Himself. Well, yesterday I saw 325 people who truly love the Lord like this. And they were all my friends! Of course the emotion overwhelmed me. Flaminia

# A really comforting morning and one of great openings for the future. But to arrive at this meeting, one must take into account the 60-year history of Sermig with all the pains and tribulations. I have seen the faces of those who are no longer here, but who have been fundamental. Di Maria who started the walk with Ernesto. I thought of Dom Luciano who in 1991 did exactly as the pope did at the end of the audience. At the end of a mass in a church of San Paolo where he had been bishop some time ago, he had stood up at the balustrade and a queue of hundreds of faithful came to him to briefly tell him their sorrows, invoke a prayer, give a greeting. We too, the diverse people of Sermig, colorful, generational, differently engaged, different in wealth, different in health, more than 300 of us, at the end of the meeting went to Francesco unconsciously retracing the same script of "great joyful inner upheaval".
After the meeting, next to me, twenty-year-old Lorenzo, is no longer in the skin. He continues to thank me, as if the great emotion had stirred the depths of his soul. Lorenzo is one of the dozen young people who have come to Rome connected to the experience of the Global Village of Cumiana this year with the many expeditions to the poor of Ukraine. An experience that made peace explode in them in a concrete and operational way, unlike how the world goes. The history of Sermig, among many young people, continues interwoven with hardships, pains and also many glimpses of paradise. Rinaldo

# We met years ago in Assisi, while I was directing the choir of “Giovani verso Assisi”. Now welcoming you, Ernesto, the brother priests and many boys to St. Peter's is a great joy. The Lord has entrusted me with a larger "choir" to direct but it is always harmony of parts to put together and the Spirit that makes the strings of every heart vibrate. Friar Lamb

# Sermig is that little seed the Pope spoke about. It found fertile ground, it was cared for and cultivated with prayer and many yeses. Now it has become a tree that provides shade and refreshment. It is God's dream come true. Robert

# Unforgettable hours, an immense gift, an indescribable joy for the emotion of seeing the young priests of the Arsenali celebrate mass under the dome of St. Peter's. Not for the place, but for the faith that was palpable. Anna

# At the beginning of the audience, Ernesto made a speech in which he presented Sermig from its birth, then the Pope responded by praising all the work done, saying to continue on the path of welcoming peace because the world changes to the extent that we we change and he adds that "war can be waged without God, but peace can be waged only with him". In conclusion I would like to put my personal thought. I wish to thank Ernesto because he gave me this opportunity which brought me much closer to the heart of God and I wish to continue to get to know better and better the life of this fraternity which impressed me a lot. Mark, 11 years old

# I really liked the essentiality of this meeting without special effects or songs. Perhaps we all needed, including Francis, a true moment where we could look into our hearts. I feel that there is one word in particular that has completely transformed me: overturning the "fraternity of hope" into "hope of fraternity". How much Holy Spirit is in this statement! Andrew

# The Pope's words remind us of the importance of the community gathered around the Gospel. The community responsible for keeping the fire brought by Jesus burning even for those who do not believe. Being guardians of one another also means being responsible for those who lack faith. Thus the Pope confirms the mission of the fraternity and of a community that surrounds it, which embraces this fraternity and its mandate. A full hug forever. Alexander

# The meeting with the Pope was accompanied by some gestures that reminded me of a certain familiarity with our way of meeting. Small gestures that enveloped the heart of the message that he left us and that for me were a "common feeling" of Pope Francis with us. An acknowledgment of the journey made, an encouragement not to get tired and a mandate to keep the flame burning, rooted in the Gospel, but which can feed everyone, without borders and without distinction. Valentina

# Seeing the many present, I realized I didn't know everyone. A sign of the greatness of our tree that has been able to germinate in many places and latitudes, involving people of all colors. Renato

# Pope Francis, with simplicity and without "ands" or "buts", recognized Sermig as a "security", in fidelity to the Word, lived in prayer; and a hope in the works that follow… and that attract men and women of good will to participate. Faced with so much, there is only amazement, and the desire not to "go off the road", to be, more and more and better, "artisans" in the Arsenals where the weapons of peace are manufactured, which are the meeting, dialogue, acceptance. Mauro

# Francis, the Pope of the little ones… Sober, simple, very profound, like the meeting we had. Naked and raw! Simply God who speaks from heart to human heart. I pray God will grant me to “be with Isaiah” with passionate and burning love! That of those in love with him, of those who find no exaggeration in desiring, indulging, living (with all the limitation of which one is made) God's dreams. Serena

# The pope's gaze fills me with joy as he sees the presence of Jesus in Sermig, in our work. He recognizes the gift that the Lord has given us... and all this without mentioning figures or numbers because charity is difficult to "take into account ”. Stephanie

# Thinking about the life of fraternity, I think that in the end it was worth going through all the efforts for this meeting, because we are together. And the Pope speaks of this, of that blessed seed, which has not yielded, which has grown, which has made itself a home, a family, a fraternity for all of us and for many who do not even know what a family is. Albert

# Waiting, hope and much prayer. The most exciting moment? The warm, affectionate and thunderous applause that followed Ernesto's words; a round of applause that enveloped the Pope showing him the faithful little big world that thanked Ernesto for this adventure of his and also ours born and raised in God, with and for him. Maria Pia

# At eight in the morning St. Peter's square is almost deserted, more or less numerous groups of people are approaching from various points: it is the people of Sermig who are arriving from all over Italy to meet the Pope. Adults and children, young elderly, of all colors, rich and poor, families, priests and consecrated persons, atheists, but all with so much emotion in their hearts! We are 330 people, but only a slight buzz, almost like a whispered rosary… together! The pope's words are powerful, profound from those who know us well and have gone to the heart of Sermig: the charism of hope lived in the presence of God. The eyes of the heart store every word because every sentence is our life that must be lived in its whole and not in pieces. Christian

# If I had to summarize the meeting we experienced with Pope Francis in a few words, I think I would define it as a gaze of eternity. A caress for us and for the Church. Jessica

# For me it was important to start the day by celebrating Mass together in St. Peter's, reminding us that we did not have an appointment with the Pope, but we did have an appointment with God through the Holy Father. Richard

# Hearing so much good in one room fills the heart with joy. In Ernesto's words, the sharing of his life and his faith, the constant reminder of Mary whom I have not known but who is always present, as if she were my mother! My

# January 7th I was supposed to be there. Instead, for health reasons, unfortunately only a part of me was there to support you and make you understand how important my heart was to me! Will be

# No pride, no merit, but an even stronger invitation to responsibility to continue to be that big tree grown from a small seed that gives refreshment to so many lost, to so many lost, to so many who are already in God's Dream. Beatrice

# After listening to Ernesto, Francis goes over what Ernesto expounds point by point, elevating its contents in the Spirit, making some words and realities communicated shine in the light of the Gospel. Words from him that have offered us a gaze capable of elevating, guiding, directing and blessing. Finally, the moment of the personal encounter: from "for all" to "for each", eye to eye, hand in hand. Through the hands and the gaze of his friend Francis, Jesus repeated to each of us present in that room, believer or non-believer, Muslim or Christian: you are precious to me, I love you. Simona

# What a thrill when Francis calls Ernesto by name, to hear from his words that he recognized us: to speak of the Sermig as a kind of large tree grown from a small seed, to recognize in that group of young people the presence of the Lord Jesus, a community of people who embrace the vocation and mission of the fraternity and wish to carry it forward. Marco

# In that ever louder applause for Ernesto which was slow to finish, there was the whole community of Sermig who thanked Ernesto and Maria for having opened the door to their family, who recognized themselves in that great story and who clung tightly to the founder to show him his closeness. Nicol

# From the meeting with the Pope I am especially moved by the emotion of having heard our story told ... by a father to another father. Clare Mary

# Dear Ernesto, I learned that the meeting with the Pope was very nice and that he addressed you with great affection. I am delighted with it. A hug. Sergius

# I think anyone who sees the pictures taken on that occasion at any time will be impressed. Indeed, it is touching to see the emotion of all those present who meet the Pope, symbol of peace. Many happy children and many people who hope for a world of peace and who work for it in their lives. Maria Chiara

# For me, an important sign of that day was precisely the gift of the unity of fraternity, each with his own piece, different but necessary. Mary

# The Pope's mandate: to bring the hope of fraternity, to bear witness to fraternity. It is an immense responsibility, because if we don't show ourselves truly good, if we aren't truly fraternity, instead of bearing witness we will cause scandal. Everyone, including me, we too must feel the weight of this responsibility. It certainly scares me, but the Lord calls us to this and with him we will face the difficulties that will come. Frances

# Wonder is the first word that springs from the heart when I think of the meeting with the Pope. Wonder yes, but also love and kindness in abundance: it is the wonder of those who do not know, of those who slowly rediscover. Of those who are surprised by every little gesture. As in front of a gift to be unwrapped on a day of celebration. Monica

# I have seen, heard and touched the Kingdom of God. I have seen, heard and touched all that we are, just who we are, and wish we were forever. People of God. For and with everyone. Only the work of God. Only of him. Clear

# Of this day I will always remember the meeting between two great men over eighty still willing to go beyond their effort to bet on hope. The fraternity today can truly testify that it is possible to convert our hearts. Life in fraternity can speak to the hardened hearts of so many people who live by cultivating the logic of individualism. Choosing and living fraternity means choosing the way to undress and disarm yourself from your own ego, from your own reasons, from your own pride in order to discover and live true freedom. He knows

# After the audience, in St. Peter's square, I began to perceive a shared joy: in the eyes of the people there was no longer the tension of the morning and, from the words we exchanged, amazement was born for what we felt was a gift finally arrived, how God's dream about us was continuing to grow. Cecilia

# The thing that moved me the most is belonging to a fraternity that is also priestly: it is rejoicing with those brothers who were walking down the nave of St. Peter's basilica to celebrate mass. And then of the meeting with the Holy Father I was moved by the concreteness of the silence that became prayer, prayer in amazement and gratitude towards every word spoken for us. Arianna

# On the day of Sermig's meeting with Pope Francis, I stayed with others at the Arsenale della Pace because it would have been unthinkable to put the "we are closed" sign on the door. I felt in communion with everyone. Even before hearing Ernesto's words to the Pope and those of the Pope addressed to us, it was the faces of those who returned at the end of the evening and during the night that gave me gratitude, amazement, joy, responsibility. Roxana

# The words that the Pope has given us are a great encouragement to persevere in the direction in which we are committed to walking every day. It is as if the story of Sermig had received a seal that he recognizes (thus giving thanks) and consecrates his first (almost) 60 years. A true caress from God! Martha

# We were all present, to receive from God, through the words of the Holy Father, an encouragement to re-pronounce our "yes" as consecrated people, families, young people, friends, volunteers... with our hearts well rooted in the Gospel. Mary Grace

# I experienced being the Church that prays in the heart of the Church! Veronica

# While Ernesto spoke, the Holy Father listened attentively. He too "jumped" when he heard the measure of the 1,500 tons of aid: he leaned out of his chair, repeated the figure to the cardinal who was seated to his right and then had an exclamation of astonishment and approval on his face, similar to a «What numbers!». He knows

# Seen from the Arsenale, the meeting with the Pope appeared to me as a very important moment in the history of Sermig. An encounter between two men of God, who live the Gospel with a very similar spirit, as revealed by the beautiful words that the Pope addressed to us. Renza

# Dear Ernesto, many things about the meeting in Rome with the Pope struck me, but above all: your exchange of glances, two men of God who recognize each other and who enter into communion. Lorenzo

# I believe that with this meeting he told us that the Church is Jesus, it is his real presence and we belong to him as a part of his Body. And this Church loves us, recognizes us and encourages us to continue, to believe more and more that He is with us. Clear

# Sermig from the Pope. I'm in Brazil, but it's a very strong emotion. The Pope's speech arrives live, we are going to Aparecida, we are bringing all the fraternity. Mariella

"In audience with Francis"
NP February 2023