by Ilona Toth | May 26, 2023 | 2023 Europe Day, Italy, News
The vigil for Europe continues – 9 May in the Eternal City
It was on 24 March 2017 when, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, in the Roman Basilica of the Holy Apostles, packed with people, in the presence of significant ecclesiastical and civil representatives, all standing together at the beginning of the Prayer Vigil promoted by Together for Europe, we heard the quotation from the Preamble of the Treaty that adopted a Constitution for Europe. It was indeed an unforgettable moment, a strong reminder: ‘Europe, you must find yourself again, as a continent, as a civilisation, in Christianity’.
Dialogue and the conquest of peace
And Rome is faithful. Every year, around 9 May, Europe Day, Rome gathers Christians from various Churches, to pray, witness and keep on giving hope for the future of the Continent. This year Together for Europe focused on ‘Dialogue: a culture of encounter to conquer peace’. Those who took part were deeply convinced of the seriousness of the commitment: the Romanian and Greek Orthodox Churches, the Catholic Church, the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy, the Anglican Church, the Methodists, the Pentecostal Churches, the Salvation Army, various Movements and Communities, wanted to ‘sign’ with their presence the common, persevering and restless desire of all: PEACE.
Peace is the result of constant craftsmanship
“It is no coincidence that in 2013 the European Union received the Nobel Peace Prize. Let us always remember this mandate that comes from history, but which must be transformed into political initiatives in favour of peace“. This was what Ambassador Pasquale Ferrara, current Director General for Political and Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, emphasised in his speech.
This was followed by some testimonies of reconciliation, reminding us how peace will always be the result of faithful and constant craftsmanship. At the same time, one has to look up at the entire globe to realise that “Peace as a policy,” Ferrara continued, “is not an abstractly ethical option; much more concretely, it is a practical necessity, if we do not want to reduce the world to ashes, be it through atomic war or climate change.”
Prayer and networks in the Christian world
The concluding ecumenical prayer saw a small people united in its rich diversity, turned towards the One who that very day in the Catholic liturgy repeated: “I leave you peace, my peace I give you”. (Jn 14:27)
The MEP David Sassoli participated in the event held on 24 March 2017. In an interview he emphasized: “First and foremost, Christians must make themselves heard a little more, and there must be networks in the Christian world that pass on the baton to others”.
We hope that our network can be a small, but vigorous, response to his words.
Edited by Ilona Toth
The event was sponsored by the European Commission Representation in Italy and was part of the initiatives of Insieme-per.eu (European Parliament Community).
See the speech by Pasquale Ferrara (in Italian): – 1 part>> – 2 part>>
See also the article in SIR of 10 May (in Italian)>>
To see the whole event (in Italian) on youtube>>.
Photo: Ala Laiba
by Diego Goller | May 25, 2023 | 2023 Europe Day, Austria, News
Europe Day in Vienna, 6 May 2023. More than 100 people from six Central European countries gathered for the event promoted by ‘Together for Europe – Austria’ in the Schönstatt Centre in Vienna-Kahlenberg.
Under the title ‘Building Bridges of Hope’, ten speakers shared their experiences as ‘bridge builders’. On this day, the dream became reality, a day of encouragement in an often-discouraging daily routine.
In Innsbruck, Gottfried Rießlegger is involved in an ecumenical exchange between a Catholic and a Protestant parish, which have their own churches, and an Orthodox parish without a church. Two churches, 150 metres apart, separated by a fence. One day the desire to be together was stronger than fears and reservations – two big scissors, one on the left, one on the right – and already there was a big hole in the fence, the beginning of a blessed enrichment. The Orthodox community has a kit in a large chest; and every Sunday, after the Catholic liturgy, the iconostasis is set up in front of the altar.
From Slovenia, Marjeta Bobnar reported on the fruits of the ‘Summer job’ project. This project builds relationships with people in need through aid of a physical nature and, of course, between young people from different parts of Slovenia.
In Hungary, Tibor Héjj is ‘building bridges’ with minibuses. People with disabilities are transported day by day to the workplaces of various companies, where they work and live with people without disabilities.
Also, from Hungary we had the choir ‘Vox mirabilis’, which made bridge building a tangible experience.
In the Czech Republic, Dagmar and Petr Peňáz are bridge builders with heart and soul. They build bridges for people with special needs. They build bridges between Christians, for example through ecumenical pilgrimages in Moravia, and bridges between the nations of the former Monarchy.
MEP Lukas Mandl recounted the tensions he experiences in his parliamentary work, in which he could not agree on everything. However, as a Christian, he always tried to uphold human dignity and respect the freedom of others. Working together requires concrete work in committees, but also spiritual inspiration.
Eva ed Erich Berger gave him a 44-page collection: small stories of bridge-builders, stories from the daily lives of Christians, which can give courage and hope.
On this 6 May 2023, God showed his people that he is capable of building bridges for everyone. An injection of courage.
The building of bridges must continue, in a concrete and lasting way: on 7 May and every day thereafter.
Edited by Diego Goller
Photo: Christoph Fürböck
by Beatriz Lauenroth | May 11, 2023 | News
Together for Europe at the ecumenical Festival for young people in Timisoara, Romania, 1 – 7 May 2023
“Tonight, a dream of mine has come true. You brought with you the message of peace to Timisoara.” This is what the Roman Catholic Bishop of Timisoara, József-Csaba Pál, movingly stated to the 300 young people gathered in the Banatul Philharmonic after the concert of the Gen Verde International Ensemble on the final evening of the Ecumenical Youth Festival. Romania, a land so battered by dictatorship and communism in the past, welcomes the message of Christian love in Timisoara with an open heart as a response to today’s challenges.
‘Walking all together in the light of Christ’
Young people aged 14 to 25 had come from all over Romania and, among others, from Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine and Poland to celebrate in Timisoara, one of the cultural capitals of Europe in 2023. For the week from 1 to 7 May 2023, the young people had chosen the title ‘Walking all together in the light of Christ’. One of the highlights of the festival was the ecumenical procession with candles – also attended by the citizens of Timisoara – to four churches of various denominations (Greek-Catholic, Reformed, Orthodox and Roman-Catholic) in the centre of Timisoara. A Ukrainian Orthodox girl affirmed: “I never experienced such a wide dimension of Church”.
Workshop ‘Seek God in the City’
Be the change… be the change you want to see around you. This was the invitation to the young people that linked all the cultural and musical exchanges, short lectures and discussions. As part of the official festival programme – in agreement with the local young people – Together for Europe (TfE) offered the workshop ‘Seek God in the City’, that is, how to change the secular city into a ‘city of God’. The speakers, Hans-Martin Samietz (Schönstatt Movement) and Herbert Lauenroth (Focolare Movement) from the TfE Steering Committee proposed various approaches as to how the Word of God can inspire change and penetrate people’s lives on a spiritual, social, cultural, intellectual and political level. The 100 young people present at the workshop exchanged their ideas on how to build the ideal city, e.g. by listening more to each other, praying together and a communication that points to the positive and therefore – why not? – with ideas for making a film showing the city ‘of my dreams’. A common element in all participants was the yearning for peace that begins in the heart of each one.
Download the programme>>
Meeting ‘Friends of TfE‘ in Timisoara
Now Together for Europe is preparing for the ‘Friends’ meeting scheduled for 16 to 18 November 2023 in Timisoara. The city is optimal for the ideals of TfE because of its ecumenical and cultural openness. This was experienced during the Ecumenical Youth Festival in May 2023.
Beatriz Lauenroth
For further information and photos: https://www.facebook.com
by Sr. Nicole Grochowina | May 7, 2023 | 2023 Europe Day, News
Warm invitation! For Europe’s Day
May 10th, 19:00 CET, by Zoom:
one hour of meeting and prayer – and it’s all in English.
Communities and Movements in Timisoara have invited Together for Europe to the November meeting of its friends. Moreover, Timisoara is the European cultural capital of Europe in 2023.
And: Timisoara has a long history of unity and reconciliation with all the accompanying happiness, but also with the corresponding challenges.
Young people from Timisoara, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Portugal pray with us: one hour – one encounter. Be part of it!
Called to unity – living in diversity
Time: May 10, 2023 07:00 PM Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna
https://fau.zoom.us/j/61128116535?pwd=V2d2VmdHNndhdFM0eXFYNUo1bHRwQT09
Meeting-ID: 611 2811 6535
Kenncode: 001766
Download the Flyer>>
Sr. Nicole Grochowina
by TogetherforEurope | Mar 30, 2023 | News
Creating spaces for relationships and dialogue in Europe: to bear witness to reciprocity between nations and to the dynamism of love, rooted in the Gospel. We plan our journey toward “Called to unity”, our November 2023 appointment in Timisoara (Romania).
Europe seen and ‘lived’ today from the perspective of Christian communities; the challenge of the many polarisations, the scourge of war at the heart of the continent. Many topics were discussed at the two-day meeting of the Steering Committee of Together for Europe (TfE) which was held in Munich from 22 to 24 March.
Faced with Europe’s enormous and manifold cultural, social and political challenges, the Christian communities of TfE start afresh from the principles of reciprocity and dialogue, as Herbert Lauenroth of the Steering Committee emphasised when he outlined what path to tread in this ‘post-secular’ era: “(…) we must enter the frontier spaces, together; witnessing Christ in our midst, in the midst of the world”. He went on to describe the need in Europe for places where conflict is welcomed as a constructive and even a unifying part, where the encounter between people and with God takes place; where that reciprocity that does not abolish differences, but redeems them, can be found.
“Called to unity”: toward Timisoara 2023
This year Timisoara (Romania) is the European Capital of Culture, and the Roman Catholic bishop there, Bishop Josef-Csaba Pal, invited TfE to bring its testimony as bridge-builders between Christians of different Churches.
Work will now begin on the programme for the event. Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, proposed to make visible the ‘fragments of fraternity’ that are already in place in the city and make them come alive for the participants. A meeting, therefore, that highlights what the various groups, parishes and associations do for the city and for those who suffer most. “Today’s imperative is dialogue, encounter, ‘togetherness'”, concluded Margaret Karram. And Jésus Morán, Co-President of the Focolare Movement, stated: “In this way, the TfE event in Timisoara will sow seeds of hope, of brotherhood that is not only European but universal”.
Our next appointments
1 – 7 May 2023, Timisoara (Romania) – “Walking together in the light of Christ”, an ecumenical festival for young people (16 – 30 years old). Registrations are still open.
Info and booking: >>
To participate StartNow, the concert and workshop with the musical band Gen Verde: >>
16 – 18 November 2023, Timisoara (Romania) – “Called to unity -Together in Timisoara”, the annual appointment of the “Friends of Together for Europe”.
Stefania Tanesini and Beatriz Lauenroth
Photo: Stefania Tanesini, Cornelia K. Brand, Diego Goller
by TogetherforEurope | Mar 30, 2023 | 2023 Europe Day, News
Preparing for 9th May, Europe Day with the “Our Father”
The itinerary is 9 days of prayer (a novena) to implore the Holy Spirit on our Continent.
Why a Novena? In the last four years we embarked on a six-week prayer journey to prepare for Europe Day on May 9th. However, for 2023, we had the idea of praying for nine days.
The oldest novena in Christianity is the nine days between Ascension and Pentecost, when the apostles, together with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, received the Holy Spirit.
This year we would like to invite you to pray the novena together throughout Europe, for our Continent and for all the intentions of our network!
The novena was prepared together by Sr. Lioba Ruprecht (Schoenstatt) and Thomas Roemer (YMCA Munich).
Every day we will pray in particular for some European nations.
Beatriz Lauenroth
Download here the novena in English>>
Download here the novena in Ukrainian>>
Download here the novena in czech>>
