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The community of Miano, Naples
Province of Italy
The steps taken by the Church and the Society in the years following the Council prepared us to give a very sensitive welcome to the option of the 1970 Chapter: “In the light of the Gospel and of contemporary society we wish to affirm our solidarity with the poor.” During those same years Cardinal Corrado Ursi was strongly urging religious women to leave their inward-looking concerns and go out to poor people, who, especially in the suburbs, had been left to fend for themselves.
Our experience began in the Miano district on 13th May 1972; a flat had just become vacant, and considering the critical housing shortage, if we waited any longer, there was a risk that it would be snapped up.
We immediately began to receive visits: the children noticed that we each had our own bed! The lady from downstairs, with scratch marks on her face, explained with great simplicity: “My husband hit me”. There was a family of 17 living in 3 rooms and taking it in turns to sleep, as there were not enough beds. All this brought home to us the realities of life here, and we had no delusions about making a heroic gesture in coming to live among them.
We knew that if we were not accepted, it would become obvious through small incidents: a tyre, or the battery, would be missing from the car… 32 years later; we can say that such things never happened. When they were asked whether the Sisters should be considered as a group apart, the local councillors replied: “The Sisters are part of the neighbourhood.” We still are today.
From the beginning, “being” was more important to us than “doing”, and welcoming was one of our main characteristics. The tiny flat opened its doors to various girls who shared our life; one became an rscj, and the father of one of our Sisters also stayed with us for more than two years. To allow his only daughter to continue in her religious life, he left his house in Florence, agreeing to share a small room with his daughter… it was a gift to us all and for the district, where he was much loved and respected. His death left a great void.
At first we were working in the public schools, our time was restricted, but we spent most of it helping young people in their studies. Ignorance at home meant that they had difficulties at school. After primary school, only the boys went on studying, while the girls had to stay at home and look after their little brothers and sisters, or else help with the housework. More than 50% of the mothers were illiterate. In the evening we used to give classes for adults who needed certain qualifications to keep their job, or else to find one. This gave us the chance to be in touch with many people. On Sunday mornings young people met at our flat; some also came for evening classes. We stayed in touch with them all, and our relations with them were very good, even with the ones who turned out badly. Some of them still come today to confide their children to us; “Sister,” they say, “I don’t want my children to go the way I’ve gone!”
Economic well-being has unfortunately brought an increase in delinquency, particularly in connection with drug-trafficking.
Several simple, honest families have emigrated in search of work, and their homes have been bought by those who have had no trouble in earning money…Gradually they came to feel a need for the spiritual, and to express it through prayer-groups, bible reading, and so on.
At present, we are almost all retired, and so at the disposal of the neighbourhood, trying to respond to the needs of the moment, to keep children and young people off the streets, with recreational activities, sewing, help with their studies, spiritual formation with prayer groups, biblical courses, instruction of adults to prepare them for confirmation and marriage. The work that one of us is doing with the marginalised inspires us and opens our minds to wider horizons.
Our present flat, with 4 bedrooms, a kitchen and two bathrooms allows us to welcome young people who want to have the experience of serving children in difficult neighbourhoods; from the beginning various groups of guides, people from the University of Padua, alumnae from Palermo and Lindthout, and teachers from Villa Peschiera offered their holiday time to help here. Last year, and this year again, we welcomed 12 guides from Brussels, who spent a fortnight in activities with the children. Our young people were their bodyguards, escorting them on their journey of discovery around Naples…
In this situation, so forgotten by authorities and disparaged by the very people who live here, we try to bring everyone to believe in their own great worth, as the object of an immense love.
The Community of Miano:
Angela Cairone rscj, Anna Maria Catelani rscj,
Maria Teresa Devoto rscj, Paola Paoli rscj