Chiara and Julius: a love that becomes a gift

Chiara and Julius: a love that becomes a gift

Giulio and I met in Tuscany, in San Miniato, during a weekend organized by the Pope John XXIII Community. We had not even exchanged phone numbers on that occasion, but coincidence had it that we met months later at another Community event, where I found Giulio standing in line for the cafeteria. A friendship began between Veneto, Piedmont and Emilia Romagna, and between a call, a walk and a Community meeting, we realized we were more than friends. The marriage proposal came after a thousand ordeals: the pandemic, the red zones, the closed regions. We were just in San Miniato, back as walkers, and under the highest tower, with the sun shining, came the fateful question, "Will you become my pearl?"

Marriage is a shared journey, a life choice for us to renew every day, but also a celebration that we would like to involve everyone we love in a grand gesture of solidarity.

We chose the Pope John XXIII Community because it is our community, it has given us life experiences in which we have learned about being there and breaking that daily, sometimes bitter, bread together. I did this in Lebanon, where for three months I lived in a refugee camp together with volunteers from Operation Dove (the Community's nonviolent peace corps), getting to know people, stories and dramas of lives torn apart by war. Like that of Fadila, a strong and determined mother who wanted freedom for her and her children. I will never forget her hopeful eyes among that red earth and dirty tents. Giulio lived 2 years in the Bethlehem Hut in Vicenza, a home for homeless people. It has not always been easy, but those people for him have become brotherly friends who with dignity carry their stories of suffering and loneliness on their shoulders to finally make way for a rebirth.

We ask that the gift you would like to give us for our wedding be a donation to these projects: the activities in the refugee camp in Lebanon and the Hut in Vicenza, which we carry in our hearts, and the Hut in Rimini, as a natural consequence of having started living in this area to build our family and which, like the one in Vicenza, every night meets people living on the streets to give them help and comfort.
In each of these places we have met wounded people, in body and soul, and our desire has always been not to turn away from this suffering but to live with those who are poor, lonely or abandoned. Because what we give to them is care and love, but what is given back to us is something even greater .

Also thanks to your gesture, we will continue to share our life and joy of this day with these realities. These people have become an integral part of our story that has led us to our "forever." Thanks to you, our "yes" will be concrete love that will reach them.
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YOU CAN ALSO DONATE BY BANK TRANSFER OR POSTAL BULLETIN
Payee: Pope John XXIII Community Association - ONLUS
Reason for payment: 22R012 Marriage Chiara and Giulio
IBAN: IT04 X030 6909 6061 0000 0008 036
POSTAL ACCOUNT: 12148417

12,200 €

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