Christmas lunch in Pianura, 150 people at the neighborhood party

Approximately 150 people attended the Christmas lunch today at the parish of San Lorenzo Martire, in the Pianura neighborhood, organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio in collaboration with the entire parish community and the IX Municipality. The celebration was attended by migrants, members of the Roma community, and neighborhood residents, who put aside their differences to join in a fraternal embrace. The Christmas lunch was provided by the company Vegezio, which oversaw the entire catering. The volunteers—many of whom were young—who served the tables were a wonderful turnout. "This day," explained Don Dario Colle, a young and passionate parish priest from the Pianura area, "is born from a gift from God and from our friendship with the Sant'Egidio community. We organized this beautiful initiative in 2016, and this year, with the support of the 9th Municipality and many generous men and women, we were able to repeat it. The message we want to convey is full of charity and fills our hearts. Christ taught us to humble ourselves and reach out to all our brothers and sisters. This is what drives us to overcome every difficulty, large and small, in the name of charity."

72 Christmas lunches organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio from the first days of December to Epiphany in Naples and other cities in Campania. A mammoth task that has always seen parishes on the front line to offer a better Christmas to many families in difficulty. "We are enthusiastic about the generosity of Don Dario and his community - says Don Mariano Eberato, assistant priest of the community of Sant'Egidio - the organization was taken care of down to the smallest details and this is a sign of love and brotherhood. We are happy that this space of Christmas solidarity has met with such great success. Today's is just a starting point. The purpose of our work is to extend these moments of conviviality and brotherhood, which are of fundamental importance, to other periods of the year". An entire neighborhood united to give a sign of hope and rediscover the sense of community. For several weeks, the Municipality of Pianura-Soccavo has been on the front lines to ensure the success of an event that, for once, has managed to bring everyone together. “As a Municipality, we have done everything possible to provide maximum support to the organization of this beautiful initiative – explain Lorenzo Giannalavigna and Marco Lanzaro, respectively president and vice president of the IX Municipality – because in this way we can embody the true Christmas spirit and true Christian charity, which is not only a religious concept, but is the foundation of our society. Seeing the active participation of so many Pianura citizens comforts us – continue Giannalavigna and Lanzaro – because in a society full of contrasts and where conflictual relationships are increasingly felt, sending messages of peace and hope is of fundamental importance”.