In Strasbourg, over these days, the Faith and Light movement is taking part in the general assembly that takes place every five years by bringing together the 52 provinces in which 1190 meeting communities gathering people with intellectual disabilities, their parents and a few friends are grouped. The new Board of Faith and Light International has been appointed, supported by the spiritual assistant, the Milan-born father Marco Bove: Raul Izquierdo Garcia (Spain), international coordinator; Maria-Silvia de Jesus Tavarez (Brazil), deputy international coordinator; Antonio Donega (Brazil), president; Michat Abbosh (Lebanon), deputy president; Antoine de la Taille (France), treasurer; Amgad Edward (Egypt), Judex Violette (Mauritius) as Board members.
The movement, which has branches in all continents, voted on the priorities for the next 5 years, such as – as a statement explains – embracing relations with other organisations, strengthening ecumenism, training at all levels, and a greater focus on communication.
Raul Izquierdo and Maria Silvia de Jesus Tavarez, confirmed in their roles after facing the difficult years of the Covid pandemic, “have addressed the key issues that need to be taken into account: the Gospel of Smallness to be announced to an increasingly secular society, finding the right way to be attractive without betraying one’s identity, giving pride of place to people with disabilities in the Church and in society while emphasising their talents, finding new languages while retaining a spirit of service, bringing a message of love and inclusion where loneliness and fear reign, the need to upgrade fundraising so as to be in a better position to assist the path of community all over the world”.