faith and light international «up sails!» · 2011. 5. 12. · it was all very practical and very...
TRANSCRIPT
N° 5— March 2010
Faith and Light International
«Up sails!»
Contents Editorial, Ghislain du Chéné
Reports
France Centre
UK North
International Agenda
Reports
Retreat at ND de Montroland
An evening with our founders
2011-2012 Celebrations
Reports
Christmas celebrations in Khartoum
First meeting in Benin
Galilee, a good seed
Faith and Light receives a prize in
Norway
Returning from Zaborów
Testimonies
In Morocco: Thiqa - the trust
Leading mass in his parish
From the Rainbow Province
Initiatives
Family Album
Fioretti
Letters from readers
International Solidarity
International Secretariat
What happens on 3 rue du Laos?
Faith and Light International 3 rue du Laos 75015 Paris France
T + 33.1.53.69.44.30 - [email protected]—www.faithandlight.org - http://fli-afoi.blogspot.com/
Editorial
F or the past eighteen
months, Faith and Light has
been swept towards the open
sea and uncharted territory by the breath of
the Holy Spirit!
New shoots are gradually germinating every-
where! In Togo, Morocco and Guinea.
In the countries that already exist, prepara-
tions for the pilgrimages will certainly respond
to the wishes expressed by Marie-Hélène
Mathieu in the recently sent Dispatch, 3 to 4
new communities per province; do the maths
with me, 150 to 200 extra communities!
Numerous province assemblies have taken
place, 35 by the end of March, and many
have responded to the call for commitment
with generosity and enthusiasm! May all coor-
dinators, vice-coordinators, project team
members, nomination teams, treasurers and
chaplains be thanked for their ‗yes‘! I have
always said, during the province assemblies in
which I have had the pleasure of taking part,
that we should ‗take care of‘ all those who
accept the responsibilities entrusted to them,
not abandon them to their fate, without guid-
ance: ‗it is good that you have been elected!
Hallelujah! And now, get to work!‘ is not an
attitude we can have!
There are international vice-coordinators who
are there, as a first resort, to guide, advise,
confirm and encourage. They do excellent
work, but with the Board of Directors, we
thought that it was important to launch a
training programme so that everyone can
have the necessary tools with them to ensure
their mission within the province team and
their mission of guiding the communities is
successfully carried out. This last point is im-
portant because as it was strongly empha-
sised at our assembly in Lourdes, the life of
the communities, the growth of individuals,
the strengthening of bonds of communion
and friendship between each person within
the communities should be the first concern
of each person within Faith and Light.
Therefore, a committee has been set up that
Claude Gravel is in charge of, to develop train-
ing sessions. The Board of Directors and the
International Coordination Team will be the
first to test them out and validate the content
of the sessions that are going to be rolled out
beginning in May in Hong Kong then in June in
Sao Paulo, in July in Krakow, in August in
Lima, in October in Ciney and in Cairo in No-
vember. We will then see if there are still any
need for additional sessions that could take
place in 2011.
Finally, I am going to start preparing the Coun-
cil of Coordinators, a body that will bring to-
gether all the province coordinators around
the International Coordination Team and the
international chaplain. This will doubtless hap-
pen at the beginning of 2011, but I still do not
know exactly where but I will see to it that this
event is as successful as possible. This will be
an occasion for listening to what is happening
in the provinces, an occasion to create a com-
munity spirit amongst us all.
The benchmark that I have in mind for this
council is a quotation from St Mark: ―The
apostles gathered around Jesus and reported
to him all they had done and taught. Then he
said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to
a quiet place and get some rest ― (Mark 6, 30-
31). We are going to go to a quiet place in the
service of Jesus and tell Him all that we have
done and He will teach us at length.
Ghislain du Chéné
International Coordinator
Let’s take care of the province coordinators!
Have a good journey Have a good journey
to Easter!to Easter!
Report
“Happiness”!
It is on this theme that ten communities
from Anjou, Mayenne and Sarthe met at la
Pommeraye on 27 September last.
On our arrival, we received a flower and a
book of songs. Each community introduced
itself with its banner. It was a joy to welcome
two new communities one of which has
young children. .
After a picnic under a radiant sun (that was
also in our hearts), our bishop Mgr Delmas
joined us for the afternoon. This was a great
joy. After various workshops (arts, floral,
mimes, songs…), Mgr Delmas spoke on the
theme of the day ‗Happiness‘. Numerous
exchanges followed.
During the Eucharist that closed the day, a
community relived the Gospel of the Magnifi-
cat. This was a key moment in this meeting.
At the end of the celebration, a community
UK North
After good preparation by the nomination team,
we held our assembly at Harrogate from 6 to 8
November. We were blessed to have Darius
Chmieliauskas (Lithuania), a vice-international
coordinator, with us. He led the discernment for
the province coordinator. We all found that his
presence was very beneficial and extremely
important.
In this letter, it gives me great pleasure to
introduce the new province team to you, each
one bringing their own unique gift.
Jane Ayre from Newark has been nominated
province treasurer. Donald Lucey (Harrogate),
Catholic priest and the Reverend Marian
Crawford, Methodist minister, have been
nominated province chaplains.
Tony Wilkinson is vice-provincial coordinator for
the Midlands; Jane Hawryliw for Scotland; Mary
Brooke for North and West Yorkshire and Ann
Wormleighton for the North East.
It is also a great pleasure to announce the
recognition of the community with young
children in Liverpool.
Ann Emmott Province coordinator
Page 2
was recognised with the name of ―Priscille et
Cyprien‖. Then, those who wanted to were
able to speak more with our bishop, which
he did with a lot of kindness and simplicity.
Michèle Houdayer
―La Joyeuseté‖ community
Ann Emmott has belonged
to Faith and Light for 30
years. With Tony, her hus-
band (who she met at Faith
and Light), she has 3 chil-
dren aged 25, 18 and 13. It is
an ecumenical family, Tony
being Catholic and Ann a
member of the Salvation
Army. Ann has had many
responsibilities including
that of former zone coordi-
nator.
Agenda
for the 2nd trimester of 2010
6—7 March: coordination meeting for the
9 provinces of France, Issy les
Moulineaux
20-21 March: France East province as-
sembly, Saint Walefroy
27-28 March: France ―Loire Rhone Au-
vergne‖ province assembly, Moulins
March: Ukraine province assembly
10 April: Meeting of treasurers to the 9
provinces of France, Paris
17-18 April: France Centre, formation
session, Tours
5-8 May: Syria province assembly
20-23 May: USA East province assembly,
Washington
21-23 May: ‗Light of the Orient‘ (South
Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan) prov-
ince assembly and training session, Hong-
Kong
22-24 May: ‗Heart of Europe‘ (Germany,
Austria, Luxembourg, Netherlands) prov-
ince assembly, Weisendorf, Germany
Fireworks for Darius!
Darius arrived at our first assembly on Guy Fawkes Day, which is celebrated with
fireworks. We told Darius that the fireworks that accompanied his journey from the
airport to the hotel were in his honour! … Why didn‘t he believe us?
Report Page 3
Retreat at ND de Montroland, 24-27 October
"There were about 60 of us (almost 30 of whom were dis-
abled), from Alsace and Lorraine, Champagne-Ardenne,
Côte d‘Or and Jura (France East).
Guided by Father Bruno Hayet from Reims, we travelled
with Moses from the Burning Bush to the Promised Land.
It was all very practical and very elaborate but also very
demanding. The meeting room became the Tent of Meet-
ing. Our preacher dressed as Moses and had a staff. The
teams were the 10 Tribes of Israel. We had the Ark of the
Covenant, the golden calf and the Menorah. Before each
lesson, a new candle was lit, so that by Tuesday 27 Octo-
ber the candelabra had all seven candles lit.
Every morning, those who wanted to (and there were a
number of us), came to pray for half hour near the Holy
Sacrament.
Saturday: ―He made his dwelling among us”. Before the
1st lesson, we met in the meadow, around the Burning
Bush. We listened to the story of the Exodus (3, 1-12) and
were invited to take off our shoes, like Moses, as a sign of
dispossession and simplicity.
Returning to the Tent of Meeting, Bruno proposed three
manners of welcoming the Word of God: listen to it, guard
it and share it. The 2nd lesson led us to discover the
plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7-13). Meeting as tribes, we
reflected starting from the question: ―How can we make
the plagues of Egypt a reality in our lives?‖ then through a
much appreciated game, we tried out on ourselves the
woes of the Egyptian people.
Every day we held the Eucharist. In the evening, at the
time of the vigil, we mimed the Parting of the Red Sea
(Exodus 14) then we put ourselves in God‘s hands and
went into the desert.
Sunday: ―Open your eyes”. We met in the meadow and
gathered manna. Bruno‘s staff brought forth water from
the rock. At the time of the 3rd teaching, Bruno told us of
the Temptations in the desert (Exodus 16-17, 1-7). We
took part in Mass in the Sanctuary of Notre Dame de
Mont Roland. Several of our friends with a disability were
happy to be altar servers there.
In the afternoon, the 4th lesson: ―The 10 Command-
ments‖ (Exodus 20 1-17).
In the evening, the theme of the vigil was the Creation
(Genesis 1-2). We made this story real through various
masks and games, which followed.
Monday: The 5th lesson was about the Golden Calf
(Exodus 32, 1-6). Whilst Moses was fetching the Ten
Commandments, the unfaithful people made a golden
calf. Moses, alone, interceded for his people and God
renewed the Covenant. Theme: the sin and the forgive-
ness.
The sacrament of reconciliation was proposed to us. We
prepared for it in tribes. Each person received a pebble
(flint), from which we reflected what distanced us from
the Lord and from others.
Gathered around Bruno, in the meadow, each of us threw
our pebble into a large basin of water, which symbolised
the sins. Under the weight of the pebbles, the water in the
basin overflowed, it brought to mind the grace and for-
giveness of God.
The 6th lesson led us to discover the Tent of Meeting and
the Ark of the Covenant, in which the Tablets of Law were
placed (Exodus 36-37). Then each tribe came and read
one of the articles of law drafted the day before.
The theme of the vigil was the Promised Land: ― A land
flowing with milk and honey‖. Moses, filled with anger,
destroyed the golden calf. He sent volunteers to explore
the Promised Land. The envoys brought back scrolls and
fruits: bananas, grapes, pears, kiwis, and clementines…
It was a celebration: fruit kebabs – that we tasted –
songs, dances…
Tuesday: we listened to our 7th and last lesson: ―Blessing
of the Tribes and arrival in the Promised
Land‖ (Deuteronomy 33-34).
Our arrival in the Promised Land wasn‘t at Mont Roland,
but where we live, within our family and our parish. The
Retreat ended with the Eucharist and with the Send-off.
Israel had received the responsibility of making God
known to all people.
And us, the Lord called to us, He gathered us. We have
now been sent to be his witnesses and to live his gospel
live in the world.
Marie-Pascale Joly and Thérèse Vallée
An evening with our founders
For five days, (27 February – 4 March) the Board of Di-
rectors and the International Coordinating Team met at
Trosly for a joint meeting and to test the training that is
going to be given in 2010.
We made use of this stay to invite Jean Vanier and Marie-
Hélène Mathieu to share dinner and an evening with us.
There wasn‘t an exact programme just the pleasure of
meeting and sharing friendship. The evening was made
up of a question and answer session, we were like chil-
dren asking their parents to tell them about the good
times when we were small! The conversations were
about the beginnings of Faith and Light, the Proffit fam-
ily, the paschal mystery, but we also asked for advice and
tried to make the most of the wisdom of our founders:
how to become more competent, how to find new friends
and new families and lots of other things too.
I will tell you of just two of the beautiful things that Jean
and Marie-Hélène said:
Jean told us that ―Faith and Light is the wholeness of
God‖, that the presence of people with an intellectual
disability, their holiness and their fullness were an
opportunity and a wealth for our Churches.
Marie-Hélène told us that she was starting work on writ-
ing a book about the history of Faith and Light and
about what Faith and Light has to say to the world; the
anticipated date of publication is Easter 2011! That
would be a wonderful present!
That evening with Jean and Marie-Hélène was a great
inspiration to us and we were all happy with this ex-
change. It was the subject of much discussion, everyone
wanting to prolong it and share the good memories of
this evening that we had the pleasure of being part of.
GdC
Page 4 Report
One of the great challenges in the preparation for the
pilgrimages, which are going to take place throughout
the world to celebrate 40 years of Faith and Light, is the
bringing together of young friends and creating commu-
nities with young children.
Join the “Faith and Light is 40 years old” group
on Facebook and invite your friends.
Intranet
Armed with your access codes, find any information for
the preparation of these celebrations on the Faith and
Light International intranet.
http://www.foietlumiere.org/site/030.html
2011—2012 Celebrations
Report Page 5
Christmas celebrations in Khartoum
On Friday 18 December, the precinct
of St Matthieu cathedral was filled
with a joyful crowd: families and
friends of Faith and Light with their
disabled brothers and sisters.
They were the guests of the Lord, like
the blind and the lame invited to the
Lord‘s Supper (Lk 14, 21). Those
who are rejected and despised in
society are honoured here: it is the
sign that a saviour has been born,
you will find a child, Emmanuel, poor
and disabled.
On arrival, each person received a
small Advent calendar and pinned it
to his shirt or dress. Tea and biscuits
were served.
When we had all arrived, the pro-
gramme began (at 11 O‘clock) with a
time of prayer and a word of wel-
come. Then, in small groups of ten
people, each person received a piece
of a puzzle with a Christmas image on
it. Each group made their puzzle,
glued it on to a piece of card and
placed it next to the Nativity.
After this beautiful way of meeting
and getting to know each other, we
mimed the story of the Three Wise
Men and their search for the new-
born Infant King. All the participants
walked following the Star, exploring
the sky, even with a telescope, all
magnificently dressed … up to their
arrival at Herod‘s Palace. Herod re-
ceived them, sat upon his throne, in
his magnificence, two servants wav-
ing a sort of fan to give some fresh air
to His Majesty. Then they set off
again and arrived in Bethlehem.
There, they found a beautiful child
(Rudolph) with Mary (Sara) and Jo-
seph (Arcangelo). They offered their
gifts... but were interrupted by the
arrival of a fourth Wise Man!. Arta-
ban was late and had no gift. He had
stopped several times on the journey
to give clothes to a poor man with no
clothes, to buy medicine, to reconcile
two people who were quarrelling...
giving out the precious stones that
should have been for the new-born
Infant King.
Despite his tardiness and empty
hands, Mary received him with much
love. She and Joseph liked the fact
that his gift had been given to the
poor, the true epiphany of God today.
This mime was so moving that we
had no time for sharing it. We had to
enter the cathedral for mass. Father
Quintino Kenyi, Vicar-general, pre-
sided over the celebration. With him,
around the altar, stood the three
Wise Men, Herod and his servants
and the Holy Family. After the homily,
persons with a disability, parents and
friends representing all those taking
part, read the universal prayer.
Then it was the offering ceremony;
peanuts, dates, fruits... carried by
disabled people and their families.
The choir and audience sang with all
their hearts whilst clapping their
hands. A lot went to communion and
we felt the joy in the heart of Jesus at
being united with these ‗poor ones
from Yahvé‘.
Immediately after mass, we had a
visit from Mgr Léo Boccardi, the Apos-
tolic Nuncio. He came to tell us his
joy at meeting us and offered us some
‗panettones‘, the famous Italian
Christmas cake. He also gave us an
envelope, a small financial support.
Finally, he blessed us in the name of
the Holy Father. During the meal, he
went to greet all the families.
Finally, we had a time of celebration:
a puppet theatre that enthralled the
crowd and all sorts of games.
At 4pm, when the coaches arrived to
take us home or to our parish, each
person received a small gift and some
sweets. In joy, we finished the day
with a prayer and a blessing.
And, like the shepherds in the Gospel,
we are able to say: ―And all those who
heard it were amazed at what the
shepherds said.‖ (Lk 2, 18)
Father Hans Putman, sj Sudan Chaplain
The visit by Father Adel and Amgad,
the province coordinator, was very
useful. On February 11 (Our Lady of
Lourdes), the Archdiocese cele-
brated a special mass for the sick.
We all attended with our "brothers"
and "sisters" who then received the
Sacrament for the Sick. One asked
to say a word at the end, which was
approved by the Cardinal. He said
"There are amongst us many who
are 'not normal'. I am one of them.
But we are also children of God and
we ask not to be pushed aside, not
to be mocked, but to feel your love.
We do not ask for money, but for
your love and prayer". It was quite a
sight to see him with his deformed
body speaking in a loud voice. Many
shed tears and many applauded,
more so than for the Cardinal's ser-
mon. Josephine told the Cardinal "
Today is a new beginning for Faith
and Light in Sudan."
Father H.P.
Reportages Page 7 Page 6 Report
First Faith and Light meeting in Benin
On 30 January, as planned, we celebrated the birth of our
community ‗Our Lady of persons with a disability‘ in the
parish of Saint Jean-Baptiste in the middle of the town of
Cotonou.
The said celebration had two phases: the mass and the
festivities.
A mass was cele-
brated for persons
with a disability in
general and more
specifically for people
with an intellectual
disability around the
world.
It was presided over
by the Reverend Fa-
ther Pamphile Fanou,
Parish Priest and
national Chaplain.
Approximately two
hundred (almost 75
of whom were dis-
abled people accompanied by parents and friends) took
part.
In his homily, Father Fanou placed particular emphasis on
the love that God showers the persons with a disability and
their family with. Inspired by personal experience, he
showed how God is in permanent communion with intellec-
tually disabled children. Their smile and their behaviour
bear witness sometimes without parents noticing it. The
Gospel of the daily mass drawn from Saint Mark, chapter
4, 35-41 providentially illustrated the Logo of Faith and
Light International.
“By abandoning the spirit of the world to follow Jesus and
experience his teachings, we are going to the other bank,
but we don‟t know how far it is and what obstacles we will
meet along the way.
With Jesus, we choose to navigate and to go to the other
bank, the spiritual bank of a new world, the bank of Faith,
Hope and Charity.”
After the Eucharist celebration, the guests and members
of the coordinating team, in a festive atmosphere shared
a friendly meal enlivened by the performance of the youth
choir from the parish.
This was a beautiful opportunity to share and have com-
munion with our disabled brothers and sisters, helped by
parents and friends who did not stop showing this deep
joy.
A mother, touched, said: ―It is the first opportunity I have
had to go out with my disabled child in 26 years and ex-
perience such a day‖.
The event was happy and moving. Some danced with joy
at the sound of the tam-tam and songs, others were
bowed down, supported on the arms of their parents.
Two mothers were moved to tears. Severely disabled peo-
ple who almost never left their beds, took part in the cele-
bration.
The community born in Benin relies on the grace of God,
on the protection of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Disabled
People and would also like to rely on the fraternal support
of older Communities within Faith and Light International
in order to grow and progress in the Faith and the Light of
the Holy Spirit.
Sister Marie-Antoinette Dossou
Galilee, a good seed
We often hear of the conflicts be-
tween different people and different
religions in far off lands. But we do
not really know what it means to live
in such situations. The inhabitants of
Israel know: they have experienced
these conflicts for years.
Eight years ago, Sister Aida, a Leba-
nese Franciscan nun, founded a
small community in Maghar (Galilee)
with some families with disabled chil-
dren and a few friends, living in the
spirit of Faith and Light.
Maghar, about 30 km from Nazareth,
has 20,000 inhabitants. The 5000
Christians in the village have to live
with Druze Muslims who, 5 years ago,
set fire to their homes. The Sisters of
Maghar risked their lives during these
events. Last year, they left the village,
the problems being insurmountable.
Without the sisters, all seemed lost.
A few kms away, in Eilaboun, Sister
Carmelina (Sister of Nazareth) an-
nounced Faith and Light. She lived in
a little house with Sister Wardeh, who
was a lot older than her but who had
the same energy and the same love
to give. They are both Lebanese. In
Eilaboun, 1500 Christians and 3500
Muslims live side by side.
The priest of the Greek-Catholic par-
ish, Abouna Maroun, comes from
Cana to celebrate mass on Thursdays
and Sundays. The church bells ring
rarely whilst the Muezzin called the
Muslims to prayer five times a day. In
Eilaboun, the relations between the
people from different religions are
better than in Maghar but living your
faith in Jesus here is difficult.
In 2008, Lucia Casella, international
vice-coordinator, visited the two com-
munities. She returned this year (11-
Reportages Page 8 Report Page 7
18 January) with Don Marco Bove
and myself.
Due to the conflicts and the commu-
nication problems, Galilee was at-
tached to the Italy North province of
which I am coordinator and Don
Marco is chaplain. We chose a name
for the province: ―The great river‖ in
reference to the Po River. However,
thinking of the so great desire for
peace of our friends in Israel, the
name of our province became ―River
of Peace‖.
In Eilaboun, we found a very lively
community with a strong spirituality.
The first day of the meeting, we
prayed together before the magnifi-
cent icons of the parish. A candle
went from hand to hand, each person
giving a prayer intention or having a
moment of silence. This gesture was
repeated at each meeting strengthen-
ing our bonds.
Don Marco proposed a meditation on
the parable of the grain of mustard, a
symbol of friendship sown at the
heart of the community. This gave the
opportunity to talk about the prob-
lems that prevented the seed from
growing and made the fruit turn yel-
low.
We felt their fear that the Sisters
would be transferred elsewhere like
the Sisters from Maghar. They
thought that they could never suc-
ceed without them. After a long medi-
tation on their (numerous) gifts, their
problems and the responsibility of
each person to keep the community
alive, they chose a name: ―St George
of Eilaboun‖ and Lucia nominated a
team to guide them and support
them until their official recognition.
Each person promised to be ‗the
good ground upon which the seed is
sown‘, to follow the Charter and the
Guidelines.
In Maghar, we met very young moth-
ers who told us: ‗we are a real family,
we are united in charity‘. It is a strong
sign. The group wants to grow and
become stronger but it needs more
time and to become better aware of
the spirituality of Faith and Light. We
are certain that we can also recog-
nise this community and that in
2011, delegations from Eilaboun and
Maghar will be able to fly to Italy to
celebrate the 40th anniversary of
Faith and Light with our province.
The small seed is growing and it will
bear good fruit.
Angela Grassi Province coordinator
The days you spent with us were days of grace for our community that has lived in the spirit of “Faith and Light” for six years. Your pres-
ence fortified us, encouraged us and opened us up to an international dimension. The meetings took place in simplicity and friendship
and have consolidated our belonging to the body of “Faith and Light”. Our chaplain, Abouna Maroun, felt involved in our community, in
the sharing that we experienced together poorly, simply and in joy. Nabil promised to commit until the end. He felt he had a place and a
role… This breath of enthusiasm has seized everyone of us!
Your visit has shown us that you are interested in our community in Galilee and that is a great gift for us.
You have asked us to work as a team to prepare our meetings and that has worked well… All that I can do now is to trust the Lord with
the future of this community and that he gives us the grace to persevere in this spirit
I thank you for your attention and your very precious presence.
Sister Carmelina
Page 8 Report
Faith and Light
receives a prize in Norway
The Norwegian Ecclesiastical Acad-
emies have awarded their annual
―Bridge Builders‖ prize to Faith and
Light! It is a great honour that re-
flects on the entire ―Northern Lights‖
province, as well as on the Faith and
Light movement! It is true that, as
John Paul II wanted, we prefer to con-
struct bridges rather than walls. A big
thank you to Aslaug for all that she
has done for her country and her
province! She will receive this prize
on March 13; it will be an opportunity
for her to talk about Faith and Light
across the world.
Below is the press release.
In the photo, the first Norwegian com-
munity, ―Follogruppen‖, born in 1990,
I was there a year ago.
GdC
"Since 1983, the Norwegian Ecclesi-
astical Academies have awarded the
“Bridge Builder” prize to the persons
or institutions/organisations who
have contributed to a greater under-
standing,, contact and dialogue be-
tween various groups in the life of the
Church and in cultural and social life.
Faith and Light is an international
Christian movement for people with
an intellectual disability, their fami-
lies and their friends. The organisa-
tion works so that the intellectually
disabled person and their families
find their place within the Church and
society. Faith and Light began as a
Catholic movement and the first
group began in France in 1971.
Gradually, Faith and Light has spread
into a lot of countries and has be-
come an ecumenical movement.
Today, there are about 1600 groups
in the world, spread across 81 coun-
tries and made up of 50 provinces.
In Norway, Mrs Aslaug Espe, a mem-
ber of the Catholic Church, took the
lead in setting up the first group.
Lutherans, Catholics, Pentecostals
and Methodists take part in the work
as well as some people who do not
belong to any Church. In Norway, the
groups are part of the “Northern
Lights Province”, which also includes
groups from Denmark, Sweden,
Finland and Estonia.
Most people take it for granted that
they can move and take part in reli-
gious or other assembly meetings to
which they belong. But this is not so
easy for everyone. For some people
this can be difficult – even impossi-
ble – without the appropriate help.
This affects those who are intellectu-
ally disabled in particular. The Faith
and Light organisation has taken on
this problem and the Faith and Light
groups make the arrangements for
disabled people to be able to have
the opportunity to practice their life
of faith and to belong to an ecclesias-
tical community – in accordance with
the most basic of human rights and
on the principle of religious liberty.
Faith and Light invites them to attend
religious services open to all, to
meetings, meals and trips. The dis-
abled people with their families and
friends take an active part in the
service. They form processions, act
in plays, take part in prayers and the
distribution of communion. Thus ac-
cess to the practicalities of faith and
to the community to which all can be
part of are facilitated, each according
to his or her abilities – and everyone
has something to give. Faith and
Light contributes to people feeling
seen and included in the Church and
elsewhere in society – regardless of
their abilities. And the families of the
people with a disability experience
not being alone. They are part of a
community that is spread throughout
the whole world.
The Norwegian Ecclesiastical Acad-
emies award the „Bridge Builder‟
2010 prize to Faith and Light for the
important work carried out so that
those with an intellectual disability
can be integrated into the Church
and society in general. The activity of
the organisation emphasises the
value of any person and his/her right
to take part in and practice his/her
faith – regardless of his/her situation
and ability. That is particularly impor-
tant at a time when society is more
and more marked by competition and
the search for perfection.”
Report Page 9
Return from Zaborów
Poland‘s fourth provincial assembly
was held in the West of the country at
the beginning of February. Krystyna,
who was the interim province coordi-
nator, was elected to guide the prov-
ince for four years. Thank you to her!
I am writing to you on return from the
last Poland province assembly. It was
held in Zaborów, in the Poland West
province from 5 to 7 February 2010.
Before each of these four assem-
blies, I was accompanied by a feeling
of anxiety, asking myself how it was
going to go, what fruits would this
assembly bear (perhaps it wouldn‟t?),
who I was going to meet (were the
people open to the changes in Faith
and Light, were people ready to serve
in our movement?). A lot of you have
assured me of your prayers in a
beautiful momentum of spiritual
unity. On behalf of myself and the
Poland West province I would like to
express my gratitude.
Krystyna Pustkowiak, from Zielana
Góra, has been elected province co-
ordinator; 7 vice coordinators
(Michał, Joanna, Agnieszka, Anna,
Joanna, Karolina et Michał ) and a
treasurer (Dawid) have also been
chosen. The name of the chaplain
will be announced when he receives
the green light from his bishop.
In my heart, I continue to see the
beauty of all the people who took
part in this assembly and I still feel
the joy of having spent this time to-
gether. I have observed all the faces
during the past two days, I have
learnt to know and recognise each of
you. I have found a lot of hearts mi-
raculously transformed by the love of
God, shining with warmth and sim-
plicity. The joy and enthusiasm were
mysteriously transformed into careful
listening. They let themselves be
guided and finally demonstrated
much energy.
The assembly was well organised
with a lot of attention to everyone. It
was possible to experience what we
love in the Faith and Light meetings.
To take part in such gatherings can
cure the heart in a quite special way.
As always after these meetings, I feel
very ungrateful towards God because
I receive so much whilst giving so
little.”
Joanna Koczot
International vice-coordinator
Krystyna Pustowiak has been part of
Faith and Light since her childhood.
She has been a community then re-
gional leader. Krystyna is the sister of a
young disabled man. She is a special
needs teacher by profession.
Dziękuję, Krystyna !
To contribute to ‗Up sails!‘, send us reports on assemblies, meetings, training sessions, photos…
Send us news of the communities you guide, collect fioretti …
Page 10 Testimony
Thiqa, the trust
During the OCH celebration in Paris last October, I got to
know a Trappist monk, Brother Gaultier from the Notre
Dame de l‘Atlas monastery, located in Midelt, Morocco.
There are six monks there, living their lives as monks im-
mersed in the Muslim world, leading their life of contempla-
tion and prayer, just as in any other monastery.
In Midelt, there is a small association, ―Chemin vers la
Vie‖ (Way to Life), created by a young Moroccan woman,
Yamna Boughabi. This association welcomes about fifteen
children with an intellectual disability and Yamna is more
than active because this little centre is the commitment of
her whole life. She has dedicated all her energy to it and all
her professional ambitions (she is a special needs teacher)
in order to be with the children she accommodates.
In Midelt, Yamna knows the Franciscan Missionary Sisters
of Mary and the monks from Our Lady from Atlas very well;
Brother Gaultier told her about Faith and Light, told her how
much good these little meeting communities can do for eve-
ryone: disabled people, parents, friends… but I will let her
tell you the rest:
"Hello, I am called Yamna. I am a Moroccan, Arab Muslim. I
am 39 years old. I love God, walking in the mountains,
chocolate and children. Although in a different way!
I live in Midelt, 200 km south of Fez. Midelt is located on a
plateau at an altitude of 1500 m in the Atlas mountains …
With some children, parents and friends (notably the Fran-
ciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary and the monks from Our
Lady from Atlas), we decided to meet once a month to cele-
brate life: to welcome each other, talk and pray. It is a fra-
ternal community in the spirit of the Faith and Light move-
ment. The first meeting took place on 27 December 2009,
in the wake of the birth of Jesus, son of Mary. The name we
chose for the community is “Thiqa”, an Arab word meaning
“trust”. We chose this name because the community was
born in a difficult situation from all points of view and we
have had to have great trust in each other if we wanted to
rise to the challenge of long term loyalty.
It is the first community of this kind in Maghreb. I have
been named leader, which I am happy and proud of, even if
I feel „overwhelmed‟ by this responsibility. The functioning
of this community is adapted to Morocco, a Muslim country
devoid of Christian tradition even in the minority but prac-
ticing hospitality to all, Christians in particular. Thank you
for supporting us in prayer. You are welcome to visit us in
Midelt.
God, the door of his house is always open, his hands held
out to welcome us and to comfort us: it is our refuge and
rampart for always…”
And Brother Gaultier told me his story after the first meet-
ing:
"The first meeting of Thiqa took place on 27 December
2009 as planned, not at the monastery but at the head-
quarters of the “Chemin vers la Vie” association; this first
meeting went very well!
About ten mothers were present, also a father, accompa-
nied by their children with and without an intellectual dis-
ability, 2 Franciscan sisters, myself, some friends from the
social sector etc. (between 20 and 30 people).
Words kept in for a long time were able to be released…
there was a lot of emotion…
We organise a coordinating team meeting at the monas-
tery this Sunday January 10, which I would attend with
Yamna and the Sisters, perhaps a mother or two so as to
prepare the next meeting of Thiqa that would take place
on January 30; as you can imagine, there are a lot of
things to conduct, redefine, adjust and create!
However, we suc-
ceeded in keeping
the 4 stages: wel-
come, sharing,
prayer and celebra-
tion and it is already
a great satisfac-
tion!”
I am particularly happy with this small group born during
Christmas at Midelt, in the spirit of Faith and Light. May
the Muslims be able to meet and experience what we ex-
perience in our communities and benefit from it, what joy!
What happiness!
I can‘t wait to visit them…
GdC
Leading mass in your parish
―Faith and Light takes great care in integrating its commu-
nities and their members in the activities of the wider
Faith and Light family, society, their respective Churches,
Christian communities, parishes, etc.” (Faith and Light
Charter)
This is what my community, Mustard Seeds, is doing this
Sunday, the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus. Our
chaplain, Yann, permanent deacon in our parish sug-
gested that Mustard Seeds led this mass.
He gave the homily and all the com-
munity took part in the various ser-
vices: the editorial of the parish
magazine had been drafted by the
coordination team (see text at end
of article), the readings were done
by members of the community,
Julie carried her djembe (a souvenir
from Zimbabwe) to give rhythm to
the songs of the choir (chosen by
the community), and copies (with
subscription sheets) of the last edi-
tion of ―Up sails!‖ were given out on
leaving mass.
A particularly moving moment was the first reading that I
did with Julie. We prepared it together and the difficult
words (tortuous, escarpment…) had been specially re-
peated. On Sunday morning, Julie was ready a lot quicker
than usual and we left earlier in order to go over the text
on the big lectionary and to learn how to speak into the
microphone.
When it was time for the first reading, we both went for-
ward to read the text from Isaiah. I don‘t know which of us
was the most anxious… but in the middle of the reading, at
the moment when it was my turn to read, I felt Julie‘s arm
on my shoulders, seeming to say: ―Go on dad, it isn‘t so
hard!‖; and it all went very well! Julie ended with a reso-
nant: ―Word of the Lord‖!
To cap it all, that day, we had the opportunity to have an
exceptional witness! Marcela, from Faith and Light in Rio
de Janeiro was travelling in the Paris area and we joyfully
welcomed her.
GdC
Testimony Page 11
Editorial from the parish magazine Do not hesitate to be inspired!
On January 10, the Church is celebrating the Baptism of
Jesus. It is an occasion to recall the baptisms we have
been part of. The moments of joy and hope. Family joy,
the hope that the person being baptised will be com-
pletely happy with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes, the child is not the one we expected. Disabil-
ity barges in, often without warning, be it physical, intel-
lectual, psychological or so-called polydisabled. And fam-
ily life is disrupted.
In 1968, Loïc and Thaddée, two brothers with severe dis-
abilities, could not take part in their diocese pilgrimage to
Lourdes: it was too complicated! Jean Vanier and Marie
Hélène Mathieu, three years later, organised a pilgrimage
to Lourdes bringing together 12000 pilgrims, 4000 of
whom were disabled, from 15 countries. Faith and Light
was born from this pilgrimage.
Faith and Light is an international movement with an ecu-
menical vocation, made up of local communities.
„Mustard Seeds‟ here in Ville d‟Avray, is one of 1600 com-
munities present in 81 countries. Not a community of life
but a community of meetings. A monthly meeting, on
Sundays, and a few key times, with disabled people and
parents and friends. To speak truthfully, pray together,
celebrate and be available for everyone when they need
it.
Marie Hélène Mathieu reminds frequently of the three
successive stages of the relationship with the disabled
person: flight, compassion and finally wonderment. Won-
derment in the eyes of God
Each person is the image of God, whatever his difference.
Each is beautiful. To reveal this beauty with the help of
the Holy Spirit, a climate of peace, friendship and mutual
support is vital. This is what we try to experience in the
„Mustard Seeds‟ community, made up of almost 50 peo-
ple, 10 of whom are disabled, within our parish. If you
want to experience this privileged time with disabled peo-
ple, friends and parents, come and join us, we are expect-
ing you...
Mustard Seeds Community
Her disability
Has turned into grace
At Faith and Light, you make friends,
you are supported. Outings and cele-
brations are organised and you feel
understood by the others. Faith and
Light helps us to open up to the world
and not retreat within ourselves. My
daughter‘s disability, which was a
suffering at the start, has turned into
a grace.
Winnie, Mauritius
It is like a calling
I had a certain apprehensiveness,
even fear of people with an intellec-
tual disability. Faith and Light has
changed my view of others and trans-
formed my heart. It is like a calling
from Jesus to me and to which I have
responded positively. My life is trans-
formed. I have more patience and
especially more compassion for per-
sons with a disability. I feel grown up.
Bernadette, Madagascar, friend
I have discovered
what matters in life
When my autistic twins were babies,
life was very difficult. At the start, I
never slept more than two hours at a
time. Daily life was time-consuming. I
was exhausted, demoralised and de-
pressed. Faith and Light has made
me discover what matters in life.
Christine, Reunion Island
A profound peace within
My daughter is 9 years old. I feel very
relieved thanks to Faith and Light. My
daughter is very well-adjusted. We live
in a large family and I have found a
profound peace within.
Florence, Madagascar
A part of my life At each community meeting, I am in a
family where I see the simplicity and
the smallness of St Francis of Assisi. I
also receive the perfect joy of St Fran-
Page 12 Testimonies from the Rainbow Province
Festival of joy in Slovenia
To bring a bit of warmth into the month of January and to announce the joy of the
Epiphany, we organised the 5th festival of joy on the theme: ―Raise your hands, man‖.
We experienced an afternoon of joy and friendship. The communities prepared mimes
and songs. The eyes of the persons with a disability shone like stars in the sky, it was
marvellous! We ended with the Faith and Light prayer…
Rozi Ternick
Coordinator of the Slovenia province
Mauritius
Every year, the Island communities meet for a thanksgiv-
ing mass, which celebrates the birth of Faith and Light in
the country.
cis. I have become part of the life of
persons with a disability and they
have become a part of my life.
Sr Lizzy, Mauritius
Italy South
A province vice-coordinator has been nominated for a very
particular role: mission leader in the province!
Florence and her daughter
Initiatives
Family album Page 13
New communities…
1 community with young children in Angers (France Centre)
1 community in Sarthe (France Centre)
1 community in the Dordogne (France Entre deux Mers)
1 community in Levallois Perret (Ile de France West)
1 community with young children (Ile de France West)
1 community with young children in Liverpool (UK North)
A small seed in Dapaong (Togo)
Meet you in heaven, Jorge
It is with great sadness that I
must tell you that on Friday
February 19, our ‗different‘
friend Jorge Reyes Picasso
passed away. He rests today in
the glory of God. We will re-
member him, the joy and the
sincere and spontaneous affec-
tion that he gave to the Holy
Cross of Barranco community
in Peru. His friendship and the
good times spent together will
remain etched in our hearts.
Today a new guardian angel lights us and protects us from
heaven.
Jorge, thank you for your affection and thank you for having
given us such happiness.
Alfieri Quiroz Crovetto Coordinator of the ―Jesus, Light of the Andes‖ province
From Honduras
Hello dear friends, I am called Roland Reyes. I am a mem-
ber of the Tacoa community. I currently live in Tegucigalpa
(capital of the country). With God‘s grace, we hope to set
up a community as there is not one here yet. I commit this
project to you, trusting that the Lord will help us.
I embrace you from afar (a long way afar!).
Roland
A community in Togo soon?
I am a missionary in Dapaong, Togo. I want to thank you for
all the documents that you have sent me about Faith and
Light. I have been a member of a community in Spain, in
Gerona. I was also part of the 2001 international pilgrimage
to Lourdes, one Easter night I have never forgotten with the
testimony of Jean Vanier, which touched me deeply. I have
got to know all the persons with a disability in my new par-
ish. We are going to try to start a community. However, we
must go carefully because, as the French proverb says:
―Little by little, the bird builds its nest‖. I have discovered
here many little birds, all these ‗special‘ ones with whom
we will start a small family. See you soon !
Father Joan Soler i Ribas
Hello Father Joan, I just want to tell you all the joy I got
from reading about your projects. This was a beautiful gift
in this day of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the
time of the celebrations of the Feast of Light in our com-
munities! I am sure that your project will succeed, that the
little birds of which you speak, like the two doves offered
by Mary and Joseph, are going to bear fruit. We pray par-
ticularly that this community develops well. Keep me
posted. I look forward to hearing from you!
Please be aware that a community was started in Cotonou
(Benin) last Sunday, what joy!
Friendship and prayers.
Ghislain
From Malaysia
The community in formation within the parish of la Miséri-
corde Divine (in Selangor, in the centre of the country) has
chosen its name: ―Traces of Christ‖. We pray that it will be
ready in a month or two to request its recognition. The sec-
ond community in formation at Kota Kinabalu will have its
first celebration on May 1st. The coordinating team has
met regularly every month since December to learn how to
get to know each other and to train. Let us pray for the
growth of these two small communities.
Valerie Jacques Vice coordinator of the ―Colours of Asia‖ province»
A beautiful image
From our friends in
Spain and Gibraltar
who now form two
provinces, this photo
with the caption:
―Two provinces, one boat!‖
“Up Sails!” Thank you sending me ‗Up Sails!‘ that I have read with
great interest! It is a joy to see how alive Faith and Light is
throughout the world with its new structures. Well done to
the team and to Ghislain!
Chantal de Jonghe
2011-2012 Celebrations, Dispatch No.3
What enthusiasm in the text from Marie-Hélène. What joy
is sown thanks to the words she uses to talk of the
beautiful pilgrimages project in 2011 and 2012. The
treasure of life discovered in Lourdes in 1971 has been
strengthened during the pilgrimages that have marked
our history. Today, Faith and Light is called to spread its
message of the peace, mutual support and friendship
experienced by the Faith and Light communities in all
parts of the world. May we have lots of enthusiasm and
may it give us wings to continue on the road ‗all to-
gether‘ as stated so well in the Robert Lebel song! (Tous
ensemble, il me semble qu‟on pourrait changer le
monde, de jour en jour, de cœur en cœur, par des
gestes d‟amour… (all together, it seems we can change
the world day by day, from heart to heart, by gestures of
love)
Claude Gravel and Denise Audet-Gravel Members of the Board of Directors
Thank you for all the help that you will give us to allow
our project (and all the others!) to begin. Thank you for
the Dispatches, which helped us to gradually enter into
the spirit of this international pilgrimage to many gather-
Page 14 Page 14 Fioretti
ings. We truly hope a beautiful Faith and Light firework
spreads across the world.
With all the friendship of our province team, we wish you
much courage and daring to make it happen..
Anne Cronier France West province
From Rwanda Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2010! Pray for us,
there has been no rain and there is a famine.
Abbot Emmanuel Bizumuremy, Chaplain of the Gitarama community
Internet site It warmed my heart to find your site!
A young mother
Feast of Light ―This is the day that the Lord has made, day of celebration
and day of joy‖. It is with joy that I wish each of you as well
as all the Faith and Light communities across the world, a
joyful feast of light. At this start of the year, this feast can
be for each and every one of us, an invitation to spread the
light of Him who leads us out of the darkness. What happi-
ness to help a brother or sister to find a little light that
shines in his/her heart!
Father Augustin Kaleenga, Belgium
Thank you!
All my wishes of peace and love for you and all the commu-
nities!
A training session will be held in Hong Kong next May. I am
very happy to take part and I know that for me it will be a
real apprenticeship. In the Philippines, we all look forward
to this time of training. Thank you for all the work you have
done for the communities. Without your help, a good num-
ber of activities could not have taken place! May the grace
of God continue to spread amongst our disabled friends
and their families. May God bless you all!
Renel Reyes
Let yourself be looked at...
At the end of the mass that concluded the meeting, Vincent,
who likes the song: ‗N‘aie pas peur, laisse-toi regarder par le
Christ‘ (Don‘t be afraid, let yourself be looked at by the
Christ), asked the chaplain: ‗I want to sing ‗N‘aie pas peur‘.
The Father noted he had already sung it last month but Vin-
cent insisted: ‗If you can‘t sing ‗N‘aie pas peur‘ then you can
only sing ‗Laisse-toi regarder par le Christ‘!
That touched me a lot. Do we pay such attention to the
words of the songs? ―N‘aie pas peur, laisse-toi regarder par
le Christ car il t‘aime‖ (Don‘t be afraid, let yourself be looked
at by the Christ because he loves you‖) … just as you are.
Thank you Vincent.
From Friends
―At Faith and Light what is good is that you don‘t have to
choose who will be your friends. They are all our friends.‖
Jean-Luc (France)
How do we do?
After having seen a DVD introducing Faith and Light to his
catechism class, a child asked: ―How do you become dis-
abled and live at Faith and Light?‖
Letters from readers
Currently 2/3 of the countries where Faith and Light ex-
ists are in economic difficulty. That is where Jesus and
Providence have lead the growth of Faith and Light!
Contributing to Solidarity is responding to a missionary
call. It is also wanting to share our wealth and gifts, and if
necessary to work to make it happen.
It is not a matter of ‗demanding‘ the money from commu-
nity members, but above all, of making them aware of the
life and needs of communities in difficulty. For this, ex-
changing news, photos, and signs of friendship between
the provinces is essential. The participants in an interna-
tional meeting or inter-province training session have the
responsibility of passing on news of the international fam-
ily.
Lent is an appropriate time to organise the annual An-
nouncing and Sharing Day. We can plan to organise it
either in February with the Feast of Light or in March.
We must always look to favour community life in the fund-
raising activities: those that include everyone (discount
sale, making things, etc.) and the presentation of the real
and enthusiastic message of Faith and Light to those who
do not know it.
Preparation for this Day will rally the whole community
and give renewed impetus!
Here are a few ideas to make it go smoothly :
Prepare the central activity for the day all together.
Either a play: mime, concert… or a sale of cakes, flow-
ers, used articles, calendars or cards that can be made
quite easily with a computer! (The international secre-
tariat will be able to send you photos of communities
across the world.) Or even a meal, dinner dance… In-
vite all your friends, parents, neighbours and acquaint-
ances…
Announce Faith and Light in the parish, on local or
Christian radio, in local newspapers… distribute ―So
that Faith and Light lives, grows and shines…‖ leaflets
widely.
All be there on D Day with your most beautiful smile.
When it is all over, do an assessment as a coordination
team to see what was good and what can be improved
on next year and write it down. You quickly forget! And
finally, don‘t forget to send the money collected to the
province coordinator.
Henri Major President
International Solidarity Page 15
Announcing and Sharing Days,
Your contribution to Solidarity
Projects to be supported
Retreats for members of the communities in the ‗Reborn‘ province‘ (Brazil North
East) and the ‗Bridge of Friendship‘ province (Brazil South)
Training session in Hong Kong, May 2010
―Jesus, Light of the Andes‖ province meeting, June 2010
European youth meeting organised by OCH, Faith and Light France, A bras ouverts
and l‘Arche from July 9 to 12 in Jambville (France)
Holiday camps in Egypt, summer 2010
Do you want to make a donation?
http://www.foietlumiere.org/site/english/456.mv
International Secretariat Page 16
But what happens on the 3rd floor rue du Laos ?
Who is hiding behind all the mail that you receive? Who
answers your phone calls? Who manages all the
administration? Who updates the directory of 1612
communities in 81 countries across the world? Who
manages the internet site? Who organises the Board of
Directors and International Coordinating Team meetings?
Who ensures simultaneous translations? Who takes the
minutes? Who manages the Guidelines teams, carries out
the final editing and then the printing? Who drafts and
types the newsletter? Who translates them? Who does the
accounts for the international association?…Quite a small
team.
You know Céline (Doudelle), at least by name. Céline is
married to Kazu who is Japanese. They are members of the
Notre Dame du Magnificat community and Céline is part of
the coordinating team. Those of you who attended the
General Assembly in Lourdes were able to see her always
smiling, extremely kind, enthusiastic and tireless. And that
is without mentioning her abilities! She wasn‘t like that only
in Lourdes, she was as she is every day and everyday I give
thanks for her presence and all she does for Faith and
Light.
Today, weighted down by work, the international
secretariat has recruited a third person: on the January
12, Guénaël Reynaud joined the little team. Guénaël has
three children aged 23, 21 and 16 years old. I will let her
speak for herself:
“My husband died just over three years ago, leaving us
with a lot of love. For ten years I had been a volunteer at
the „Valentina‟ association that was involved with children
abandoned in Romania. I also did the reception at the
Restos du Cœur in 2010. Last October, I volunteered for a
few days at the OCH conference. I was struck by the very
welcoming and professional atmosphere that prevailed. It
was an opportunity for me to get back with Faith and Light,
as I had taken part in the 1971 pilgrimage in Lourdes!
Ghislain and Corinne suggested I come and work with
them to assist Céline. Thank you for welcoming me into
your large family;”
As for me, I have had the pleasure of being
called as secretary general a few months
before the 2001 pilgrimage, after having
been community, region and zone leader…
Each week, the TGV takes me from Lyon to
Paris. I leave my husband and 19 year old
son for three days. In Paris, I have the joy to
find my 25 year old daughter who is a
Parisian. Céline and I are in the same
community, which is also Marie-Hélène‟s.
Even three of us cannot manage it all.
Jean-Claude Teynié, former coordinator of
the France Entre deux Mers province is our
new volunteer accountant. And that is no
small task!
Joyce Irish (from Midsomer Norton)
translates documents into English and Valeria Ibarra
(from Madrid), into Spanish. Finally for the international
meetings we have a team of interpreters, also all
volunteers. Amongst the most regular: Joëlle Kielwasser
and Father Xavier Nys (Belgian national chaplain) for
French, Lindsey Poole and Nicola Farley for English,
Joanna Paluska, Ivonna Glowacka and Ashka Regnard
for Polish … A huge thank you to you all!
Now you know our mission a little better, we entrust it to
your prayers.
Corinne Chatain Secretary general
Céline and Guénaël