EUROPE/GERMANY - “Eucharist, ferment of communion among peoples”

Stuttgart (Agenzia Fides) – The "Scalabrini-Fest der Früchte" takes place every year at the Spirituality Centre of the Scalabrinian Missionaries in Stuttgart, in collaboration with the Scalabrinian Secular Missionary Women. This year the participants reflected on a fundamental aspect of the spirituality of Blessed John Baptist Scalabrini (1839-1905), Bishop of Piacenza and "Father and Apostle of the migrants": namely the centrality of the Eucharist from which the Church draws the universal love of Christ, who died and resurrected for all peoples without ethnic, cultural or religious distinction.
The meeting took place from the October 1-3, 2010 with the participation of around 260 people of different ages and 27 nationalities. The forum held during the meeting, with the title: "Eucharist, ferment of communion among peoples", aimed to highlight the close relationship between the participation of faithful people to the Eucharistic celebration and the transformation of the interpersonal and community relationships according to the dynamic of the breaking of the Bread. In fact, Jesus' life is totally donated in his service of love for the brothers and is the source of the communion among the many diversities present in the church and in the society.
Main speaker at the forum was Bishop Thomas Maria Renz, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese Rottenburg-Stuttgart, responsible for the pastoral care of youth and for the institutes of consecrated life.
Bishop Renz, in his clear and well articulated speech, said that in the celebration of the Holy Mass those who receive the body and blood of Christ accept at the same time an eucharistic mission. Their mission is to live in the world what they have received of God's life, and to become eucharistic persons, trying to heal with the gift of Christ's love the splits and divisions present in their lives, in families and in society. Fr. Gabriel Bortolamai, Scalabrinian Missionary and director of the Centre of Spirituality, quoted the words of J.B. Scalabrini: "In the spiritual world, the Eucharist is what the sun is in the physical world,” stating that as the food is transformed in our organism, so the Eucharist transforms us into Christ's body, binding us to the Father and among us: different parts united in one body. The world awaits this testimony. This is what the participants of the meeting emphasized in the exchange groups, presented during the Holy Mass, celebrated by Fr. Bortolamai and Fr. Jean Elex Normil, Scalabrinian Missionary from Haiti. This week-end in Stuttgart marked the beginning of the formation meetings on Catholicity for youth and adults in the year 2010-2011. During this time the Scalabrinian Secular Missionary Women will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of their Secular Institute, which began in Solothurn (Switzerland) the 25th July 1961. (LD) (Agenzia Fides 7/10/2010)