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Għall-ewwel darba wara 70 sena, il-Moviment tal-Fokolari qed jorganizza Mariapoli għall-Ewropa kollha. “Aim high!” hu l-motto u t-titlu ta’ din il-Mariapoli li ser issir mill-14 ta’ Lulju sal-11 ta’ Awwissu 2019.
Din il-ġrajja ser issir fi Fiera di Primiero, fuq id-Dolomiti, f’dik l-istess post fejn 70 sena ilu nibtet l-ewwel esperjenza tal-Mariapoli. Il-Mariapoli Ewropea qanqlet ħafna interess u hemm mat-3000 ruħ li ser jieħdu sehem fiha. Dan ifisser li kull ġimgħa ser ikun hemm mas-600 ruħ jgħixu f’din il-belt temporanja ta’ Maria.
L-isfond għal din il-Mariapoli Ewropea huwa wieħed ta’ kontinent li jeħtieġ jagħraf u jsib mill-ġdid l-għeruq tiegħu. Peter Forst, membru tal-Moviment tal-Fokolari qal: “Il-ħolma tagħna hi li din il-ġrajja tgħin biex joħroġ il-ġmiel ta’ dan il-kontinent, id-diversita’ u l-kulturi kollha li teżistu fih (…). Nemmnu li b’dak kollu li naqsmu bejnietna, bix-xhieda, bil-kulturi u l-istorja tagħna aħna nistgħu nagħtu sehemna għal Ewropa aktar magħquda”.
F’intervista li tat dan l-aħħar, Maria Voce, il-president tal-Moviment tal-Fokolari tkellmet dwar l-ewwel esperjenza tagħha ta’ Mariapoli. Kienet ħadet sehem fl-aħħar Mariapoli li saret fi Fiera di Primiero fl-1959. Qalet: “Niftakarha sew dik l-esperjenza. Konna norqdu fuq is-saqqijiet fl-art, fil-klassijiet ta’ xi skejjel. Fil-kmamar ma kellniex għamara; la kellna gwardarrobbi u lanqas merja; kellna biss siġġu bejn saqqu u ieħor. Iżda dan ma naqqas xejn mill-esperjenza sabiħa tal-Mariapoli”. U kompliet tgħid li għalkemm fil-Mariapoli kien hemm dan il-faqar materjali iżda “kien hemm ġid spiritwali kbir. Kulħadd ta sehmu biex tinbena dik l-atmosfera divina li saltnet fil-Mariapoli u li ħakmet lil dawk kollha li kienu hemm”.
F’dik il-Mariapoli kienu ħadu sehem mat-12000 ruħ, nies ġejjien minn kull qasam tal-ħajja u minn pajjiżi differenti. Bosta setgħu jkunu hemm għax fqar u sinjuri għexu l-qsim tal-ġid. Maria Voce qalet: “Kienet tassew ġrajja ta’ belt sinjura b’relazzjonijiet ta’ mħabba lejn xulxin”.
Source: https://www.catholicireland.net/fragmented-europe-calls-europe-wide-gathering/[:en]
For the first time the historical meeting of the Focolare is organized on a continental level and Europe will be the forerunner. From 14 July to August 11, 3,000 people are expected in the Italian Dolomites.
For the first time in 70 years, the Focolare organize their historical gathering, the “Mariapolis” (city of Mary), for an entire continent, Europe. The European Mariapolis with the title and motto “Aim high” will take place from July 14 to August 11, 2019 in Fiera di Primiero, in the Italian Dolomites, just where this experience began 70 years ago, inspired by the charism of unity.
According to organisers, the event is arousing much interest. In just a few weeks, early bookings have far exceeded available accommodation. As of 31 January, the closing date for pre-registration, almost 3,000 people had registered. There will be about 600 people per week.
The European Mariapolis comes against the background of an increasingly fragmented continent of Europe. “Our dream is to have an event which underlines the beauty of the European continent in all its diversity, where the richness of every culture emerges in the splendid tapestry that is Europe,” said Peter Forst from Focolare. “We believe that through sharing our stories, our cultures and our histories – getting to know each other – we can lay the foundation for a more united Europe.”
A Mariapolis is a gathering where the citizens of a temporary ‘town’ try to build a new type of human society based on the relationships in a family – fraternity and mutual respect, as they holiday together. Participants will be accommodated in hotels, a religious institute, houses and self-catering apartments in the Fiera di Primiero region.
A team made up of people from a number of European countries has prepared the programme for the four week-long Mariapolis events, which will include a variety of key inputs, moments of cultural exchange, workshops and round table discussions. “We hope that there will be something for everyone! And of course, it will also be a holiday – participants will have many opportunities for walking, hiking and other cultural events,” commented Ana Siewniak from the UK, a member of the group preparing the programme. She told CatholicIreland.net that one of the aims of the European Mariapolis was to have loads of “spaces in which to exchange the richness of our cultures and our experiences”, for example learning each other’s national songs or dances.
In a recent interview, Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement, described her own first experience of the last Mariapolis at Primiero 70 years ago in 1959. “I remember it well – we slept in school halls – all the mattresses on the floor. There was a chair between each bed and that was the extent of the furniture for the participants. There were no wardrobes, no mirrors for doing your hair. Yet none of this took from the experience of the life of the Mariapolis.”
Although the Mariapolis was materially poor, she continued, it was “very rich in spiritual grace – the divine, which was built up and shone out among the people of the Mariapolis, involving all the participants”.
Among the 12,000 people who passed through the final Mariapolis at Fiera di Primiero in 1959 were people from all walks of life, she explained, and from many countries. “Poor and rich people came” through a large communion of goods among everyone. “It was truly the coming together of a town rich in these relationships of mutual love. People were all equal in a love that gave everyone the same divine life and full joy.”
Susan Gately
Source: https://www.catholicireland.net/fragmented-europe-calls-europe-wide-gathering/
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