Our stay in the community ‘Il Chicco’ is ending, we are now heading to Turin in Cottolengo hospital. Although I have written few recent articles from the Ark community, in fact I never introduced the people we were living with. Well, now that we know them better, we can write a bit more about them. In the creation of this … Read more
The question of setting the limits in the relationship with other people is an important issue. Setting boundaries to others may not be easy, but it is necessary for healthy relationships. When relationships evolve Parents meet this challenge very early, assistants and volunteers as soon as they enter the Ark community and start developing and consolidating relationships … Read more
Earlier this week the Ark community had a visit of our friends Katarina and Matjaž with their son Simon. They were accommodated right inside the Ark community in a separate guest house ‘Il Chicco’, where external visitors too can stay at a very affordable price. They were spending the most part of the day in the center … Read more
You may imagine that the word ‘Papa Francesco’ was resonating in our Ark community for quite some time after the unexpected visit by the pope last week. Here you can read more about this visit. As said before, the Pope has come completely unannounced to visit us, even the official media were not informed in advance. I heard that some … Read more
None of us who woke up in Chicco Ark community expected to shake hands and talk with Pope Francis later that afternoon. Like a lightning from clear skies The big news came suddenly, only a few hours before the visit. Such sudden visits are not rare for Pope Francis, as he likes to avoid the … Read more
In the previous two contributions I wrote about the beginnings of Ark (here) and about the importance of celebrations (here), which are a vital part of community life. This time, I will briefly describe what are our responsibilities and what do the volunteers and assistants do at the Ark. Jean Vanier, founder of the Ark, once wrote: … Read more
We arrived to the Ark at the day of the celebration. Not because of our arrival, but because of Daniele’s birthday. A place to celebrate Much is celebrated at the Ark. In fact, the celebration has traditionally been one of the most important elements of each Ark community. Here is what the Ark’s founder Jean Vanier … Read more
Jean Vanier, an eminent doctor of philosophy and professor at the University of Toronto, was shocked almost 53 years ago, when he visited the facility where people with mental disabilities were accommodated in Saint-Jean-les-Deux-Jumeaux, southern part of Paris. Starved of love The conditions in which these people lived, were far from the dignity that belongs to every … Read more
We’re still in Marino, but we’ll be leaving soon. On Monday, we are boarding on an Ark (Ark community), where we will be staying for about a month. Prior to this, we would like to share some insights to this wonderful town, because we truly became very fond of it. Charming Italian towns We have … Read more
We’re in Rome. After Assisi, Perugia and Terni, all cities in Umbria province, we are now located in the province of Lazio, where everything is completely different. No, of course not. There is no significant difference, perhaps Lazio is slightly less hilly than Umbria. Rome is our ‘strategic’ point. Here, one can find all headquarters of relevant organizations and religious congregations, which could … Read more
Since our last post, we got quite a few of your e-mails. Greetings and good wishes apart (for which I sincerely thank you all), one question in particular stands out: How did you manage to find such cheap place to stay? This article will therefore be a little different, but useful for all those who love … Read more
It’s not a long way from Perugia to Terni, a city about 100 km away from Rome. Frankly, we did not expect much from Terni, our wish was to settle somewhere in peace and wait for a response out of Rome. So far we are still waiting. We’ll see how it goes. Blessed peace Otherwise, … Read more
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