蜜桃交友

By Linda Bordoni

Had Monsignor Patrick Carroll-Abbing known how far the branches of the sapling he planted in Rome back in 1945 would spread, it would most certainly have made him happy.

The first seeds were planted with the blessing of Pope Pius XII when Carroll-Abbing, an Irish priest, founded Boys鈥� and Girls鈥� Towns of Italy to provide vast numbers of orphans and children who had been displaced by WWII with 鈥渁 chance in life鈥�. Not only did the institution offer them a home, but its unique system of 鈥渟elf-government鈥� and the possibility of pursuing an education and learn skills meant that the children were encouraged to grow up and develop with confidence and creativity, and to become active participants in their communities and builders of their own lives.

Those seeds have given life to Boys鈥� and Girls鈥� Towns of Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala and Peru, and today  serve over 1000 children living in marginalized and impoverished communities.

Meanwhile, here in Italy, most citizens of the original Boys鈥� and Girls鈥� Towns (La Città dei Ragazzi and La Repubblica dei Ragazzi) are unaccompanied migrant minors. In line with Pope Francis鈥� determination to help build a more welcoming and just society, Vatican Dicasteries and Councils are partnering with the institution to be able to better respond to his call to 鈥渨elcome, protect, promote and integrate鈥� our brothers and sisters fleeing poverty and violence.

That鈥檚 why on Monday, 9 December, the Pope received a group of members and supporters of 鈥淎 Chance in Life鈥� - as the organization is now known - in the Vatican, encouraging them to continue 鈥渢o carry out their mission in a world that presents ever new educational challenges.鈥�

In a conversation with 鈥淎 Chance in Life鈥� President and Executive Director, Gabriele Delmonaco, I discovered more about how the organization continues to grow and develop in a changing world.

Delmonaco explained that about 4 years ago the Board of Directors in New York decided to export the model of self-government that initiated in Rome at the 鈥�Città dei Ragazzi鈥� to other parts of the world.  

It was a need that arose from today鈥檚 reality that has inevitably changed the face of the original Boys鈥� and Girls鈥� Towns where most of the citizens are in Rome are unaccompanied migrant minors fleeing poverty and conflict in the Middle East and Africa.

鈥淲e started in Ethiopia where we help about 400 children,鈥� Delmonaco said, and after that we started two programmes in India in very tribal areas where most of children we support are orphaned girls who otherwise would not have a chance to get an education.

Last year, he continued, we started programmes in Guatemala, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia and we are now exploring a collaboration with local partners in Mexico.

Audience with Pope Francis

Delmonaco told me that 鈥淎 Chance in Life鈥� 鈥� as the organization is called today - was founded by Monsignor Carrol-Abbing, who had a strong network in the United States, to support the operations of Boys and Girls Towns Italy, and it still thrives thanks to donors, primarily in the US.

Thanks to Pope Francis鈥� interest and encouragement, 鈥渨e were able to bring our major donors, board members and friends of the organization to Rome, and on Monday, 9 December, we were received by the Holy Father,鈥� he said.

Delmonaco said that what struck him the most about the Pope鈥檚 words during the audience was how he connected to modernity: 鈥渉e even talked about technology!鈥�

鈥淗e told us that our method of self-government for children, who have lost hope, is so modern and speaks to these children. And he urged us to continue to use technology in a proper way because, he said it could be the most effective way of communicating with these children,鈥� he said.

The Pope鈥檚 encouragement and the inspiration he provides has become a propeller in the life and activities of 鈥淎 Chance in Life鈥�.  Delmonaco said the papal encyclical 鈥淟audato Sì鈥� has been adopted by the organization almost as a working document and the 鈥淏oys鈥� Town鈥� programme in Rome is destined to become a point of reference in implementing the guidelines spelt out in the encyclical to 鈥渃reate an ecology of people, the environment and the community.鈥�

Delmonaco spoke of his gratitude for the audience and of how it was important for members and donors of the organization to receive the Pope鈥檚 blessing for their work just as it had been for their founder 鈥� Monsignor Carroll-Abbing 鈥� who went to Pope Pius XII in 1945 asking for a blessing to begin his work when he noticed that in Rome and in Italy there were hundreds of thousands of children on the streets.

The Pope, he said, bestowed upon him his apostolic blessing to start this programme, and 鈥渋n the same way, today, we feel blessed and encouraged to continue what we were doing,鈥� he said.

Global Pact for Education

Not only is the organization developing according to 鈥淟audato Sì鈥�, but the Pope鈥檚 indications to 鈥淲elcome, protect, promote and integrate鈥� migrant children and young people are at the heart of its current mission, and as collaboration and partnership with Vatican institutions continues to develop, 鈥淎 Chance in Life鈥� will play a pivotal role in the presentation and implementation of the 2020 Global Pact for Education, an alliance promoted by the Pope to rebuild the global educational pact for the common good of humanity.  

Delmonaco explained that it is an initiative of the Congregation for Catholic Education, and that during the 鈥淎 Chance in Life鈥� donors鈥� stay in Rome, meetings were held with the Prefect and with the Secretary of the Congregation, Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi and Bishop Vincenzo Zani.

鈥淭hey spoke of this important initiative to bring education to a level that is in line with the times and that can respond to the needs of young people,鈥� he said.

Referring to a study carried out by the 鈥楪ravissimus Educationis Foundation鈥� and to a global survey, Delmonaco said the importance of Catholic education across the globe is 鈥渁 pillar for the future of the world鈥�.

Even in countries like Ethiopia where Catholics only make up about 1% of the population, Catholic education, he said, is the second largest provider of education in the country after the government.

鈥淭he Global Pact for Education will be an important moment in which to reconsider Catholic education, reassess the situation and plan for the future,鈥� he said.

Delmonaco went on to speak of the work the foundation is doing together with the Migrants鈥� Section of the Vatican鈥檚 Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

鈥淎t this point, what we would like to do, is reconsider the services we are providing to our children; adopting the principles of 鈥淟audato Sì鈥�, the Città dei Ragazzi will become a hub,鈥� not only for children, but also for their migrant families and it will help guide them towards a path of citizenship or integration into the community.

Within this vision of integral development, he said, there are also plans to make the Città dei Ragazzi - Boys鈥� Town - more self-sustainable by promoting agricultural and cultural activities and integrating it into the very fabric of the community.  

That鈥檚 why, he explained is why a Parish has been established and opened inside the Città dei Ragazzi that is open to everyone.

鈥淥ur 75^th anniversary,鈥� Delmonaco concluded, 鈥渋s a great opportunity to reconsider what we are doing and to expand our programme to new countries in order to be able to serve more children.鈥�

I am sure Monsignor Patrick Carroll-Abbing would approve!