By Emmanuel Nigel
Piemonte House
Date: Friday, May 17th, 2024
The Community of Sant'Egidio translated in Italian as Comunità di Sant'Egidio is one of the Lay Catholic Associations with a great commitment and dedication to social service, it was founded in 1968 under the leadership of Andrea Riccardi. Having much enthusiastic character it grew and in 1973 was given a home at the former Carmelite Monastery and Church of Sant'Egidio in Rome, Italy. In 1986, it received prestigious recognition from the Roman Curia of the Holy See as an International Association of the faithful. The Community of Sant'Egidio's activities include the Church's prayer where members come together as a stimulus for lending assistance to a whole spectrum of needy persons: "Lonely and non-self-sufficient elderly, immigrants and homeless people, terminally ill and HIV/AIDS patients, children at risk of deviance and marginalization, nomads and the physically and mentally handicapped, drug addicts, victims of war, and prisoners." The Community of Sant'Egidio also has a high profile in the area of peace negotiations, in addressing the issue of the AIDS epidemic in the Continent of Africa, and in its opposition to capital punishment. It's good to know that the Community of Sant'Egidio is trying so hard to talk so that the 'Death Penalty' should be removed, a very dear thought for the Community.
The Community of Sant'Egidio is a network of small communities of fraternal life, currently present in 73 countries: Europe has 23, Africa has 29, Asia has 7, North America has 8, and South America has 5 with over an estimated 50,000 Community members both young and old. In 1968, after the Vatican Council II, the Founder of Sant'Egidio Andrea Riccardi while still a teenager drew together a group of young students at Virgil High School in Rome, Italy, and founded the Christian Community of the Acts of the Apostles and Francis of Assisi - up to now the Community has great impacts on the lives of the people and still quite remarkable today. We get to know that the students took to teaching poor children who lived in shacks in the Roman periphery. Then the Popular School was later formed, now called the School of Peace, and is present in many countries of the world. It's hopeful that with the introduction of the School of Peace, the students and pupils will learn about the need for peace and promote it in the places they live. The Community of Sant'Egidio remains a Christian Movement of volunteer communities across the world and will focus on service to the Poor, Peace-Building, and Prayer.
The Community of Sant'Egidio had Easter Congress 2024 which was organized where each country would choose where the Congress should be held. In Uganda, the Congress was held in two places Kampala and Lira from Thursday, March 28th, 2024, and ended on Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024 the members were very glad to have the representative of Sant'Egidio in Rome in the personality of Fr. Charles Ezeji Dobis and a single member needs to attend the Congress where members come together to reflect the Passion of the Lord and the love of God for us who sent His Son Christ Jesus to redeem us and to show us the way of Heaven. Again, the Community of Sant'Egidio has another special and sumptuous assembly called the Pentecost Assembly where we commemorate and celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem and celebrate the gift of Christ Jesus which He promised His Apostles. We are still in the period of Easter and it ends with the celebration of Pentecost on Sunday, May 19th, 2024 "Community of Sant'Egidio's President Marco Impagliazzo Will Give an Address on Pentecost Assembly 2024" Community members all over the world will attend the Pentecost Assembly online on Saturday, May 18th, 2024 and in Uganda it will be at 17:30 EAT. The link for the Pentecost Assembly 2024 will be shared with all the Community members.
As members of the Community of Sant'Egidio, it is very crucial to gather together to heed the President and we are all encouraged to be present for the Pentecost Assembly because we have to come together like the Apostles in Pentecost we also receive the gift of Christ we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
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