Some of our friends from the Houston Communion and Liberation community were able to go to Rome for the audience with Pope Francis on October 15th. However, most of us could not. Therefore, we decided to celebrate the centennial of the birth of Fr. Giussani here in town. We attended the vigil Mass at St. Maximilian Kolbe, which is the neighborhood parish for several of our families. Fr. Lawrence welcomed us with kind words spoken to the congregation, presenting our community and Fr. Giussani, confirming once more that our experience is fully part of the life of the Catholic Church.

After Mass we gathered in the parish hall, where our friend Natalie presented the exhibit made for the New York Encounter on the life of Fr. Giussani. The presentation ended with two videos of Fr. Giussani, with Italian audio and English subtitles which were not easy to read. Even so, Fr. Giussani’s passion for humanity and Christ could be understood without words. After the videos, we had a short witness by our new friend Michelle who told us how she accepted the invite from a coworker to go to the New York Encounter and the reasons behind her decision to join the Movement after meeting new friends who were open to sharing everything, from their faith to the desire to party and have fun.

It was amazing to see that the same experience that Italian highschoolers had in the ‘50s can still happen today, even in Texas.

After the presentations, we shared some refreshments and spent time together. We were joined by a few friends and some other parishioners who were intrigued by our strange, international group of people of different ages and backgrounds. One or two spontaneously asked to join our School of Community.

Every time we get together in the name of Christ and for the Movement, my heart is full.

Benedetto, Houston, TX