Lima, Peru - Friendship and culture go hand in hand

The visit of the School of Peace of Sant'Egidio at the Electricity Museum in Lima. Togetherness widens the horizon.

Bujumbura, Burundi - Waiting for an Easter of peace ...

In a difficult time of Lent for Burundi the Sant'Egidio communities in the country, and not only them, turn their eyes to the Easter, waiting for a light of peace.

Tabou, Ivory Coast - Friends in the outskirts ...

Tabou is a town in the far west of Ivory Coast, near the border with Liberia.

In this peripheral world young people of the Community of Sant'Egidio are geting in touch with the existential outskirts of the elderly living alone.

Something Pope Francis would like ....

Warsaw, Poland - Taking memory of those who lost their lives in the street ...

Also in Warsaw, as in many other cities where there is a Sant'Egidio family, that Community remembers the friends who have met on the street and who have lost their lives along the years. Almost invisible to the rest of the city, they are well known to God. 

During the liturgy, at each name read from the altar during the prayer of the faithful, a candle is enlighted, symbolizing the memory and affection of those who tried to be close to their suffering.

Moshi, Tanzania - "There is neither white nor black" ...

The Community of Sant'Egidio in Moshi is close to the little friends of the orphanage they were visiting faithfully for years.

Among them many are albinos, abandoned at birth. In Tanzania they are living constantly in danger, since in many rural areas it is believed that the use of their body parts for witchcraft rituals can bring wealth and power.
Albinism affects around one person in 20,000 in the world, but is more common in sub-Saharan Africa. In Tanzania would be affected for it one one out 1400.

Rome, Italy - For a world without the death penalty ...

Yesterday pope Francis, after the Angelus, said that “all Christians and people of good will are called today to work not only for the abolition of the death penalty”. 

In particular, the Holy Father appealed “to the consciences of government leaders” that they might join the “international consensus for the abolition of the death penalty” - and asked to Catholic leaders, as a “courageous and exemplary act,” to not carry out any death sentences during the Holy Year of Mercy.
Bergoglio made his remarks remembering the celebration today of an international convention for the abolition of death penalty, promoted by the Comunity of Sant’Egidio, with the title “For a world without the death penalty”.
“The commandment, ‘Thou shalt not kill’”, Francis said, “has absolute value, and concerns both the innocent and the guilty,” and even criminals “maintain the inviolable right to life, the gift of God”.

Naples, Italy - New Italians at the School of Peace

A picture of the School of Peace of Borgo Loreto, close to the Central Station, the last born School of Peace in Naples. 

Youth for Peace of the Community of Sant'Egidio run a "school after school" on Friday afternoon addressed to Neapolitan children ... of different nationalities.

Novara, Italy - A foster home, and not just for the elderly

In Novara it is almost ready the building that the Community of Sant'Egidio will make available to some elderly in need and evicted families.
The home is the one where the former President of Italy Oscar Luigi Scalfaro lived. Bequeathed to the Community, it has been renovated in order to welcome new guests.

A beautiful sign of solidarity and togetherness among generations in the Year of Mercy.

Guadalajara, Mexico - An ageless friendship

The apostolic visit of Pope Francis in Mexico keeps going on. The Sant'Egidio communities in that country are following the visit along with their friends, the poor, the children, the marginalized, the elderly. 

In the picture the feast of few days ago with the guests of a rest house in Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city by population.

Managua, Nicaragua - At the School of Peace, the young face of the future

"I think the main wealth of Mexico are its young. This allows to think and plan a future, a tomorrow. This gives hope and openness to the future". So spoke Pope Francis at the Palacio Nacional in Mexico City. 

Words of truth in all of Latin America. The Communities of Sant'Egidio of the continent, with their Schools of Peace (here the picture of the Managua one) for children and teenagers, are working to pass on to future generations a witness of peace, solidarity, attention to the "common good", able to change for the better societies too harsh and violent.

Manila, Philippines - Celebrating a love story ...

A lot of love stories were celebrated yesterday, Valentine's Day.

Among those, the one of friendship between the Community of Sant'Egidio in the Philippines and their elderly friends in the institute of Kanlungan ni Maria (Antipolo City). 

Happy Hearts Day!!! 

Mexico City, Mexico - ¡Bienvenido papa Francisco!

The Community of Sant'Egidio in Mexico is waiting along with all that Central American country for the arrival of Pope Francis, who has just just left Rome to be "missionary of mercy and peace".

Here's the shirt prepared for the occasion ....

Musaga, Burundi - Relieving a time of difficulty for the country ...

Today's news the departure from Rome of a container of food aid intended to relieve the situation of the weaker groups of the Burundian population, victim of a long political and security crisis.

For months food distributions have been carried out in various districts of the capital Bujumbura by the local community of Sant'Egidio, supporting all the ones in need, but especially children and elderly.

Here pictured the distribution of food, a week ago, to the elders of Musaga, a suburb a few kilometers from Bujumbura.

San Salvador, El Salvador - With the elderly, in the Year of Mercy

The Community of Sant'Egidio in El Salvador experienced a pilgrimage with the elderly. With all the old friends visited along the years at home or in the institute they went through the Holy Door which marks the entry into a time of mercy. 

The pilgrimage ended with a liturgy celebrated in the chapel of the little hospital where Msgr. Oscar Romero was living by and in which he offered his life as a martyr.

Bucharest, Romania - As at the circus, in the institute for the elderly

Feast at the institute for the elderly where the Community of Sant'Egidio of the Romanian capital has been visiting their friends for long time. 

It is not Carnival (Romania is a country of Orthodox tradition), but they know how to have fun too ....

February 7th, 1968 - February 7th, 2016: 48 years of Sant'Egidio in the world

Messages, picture and video greetings from all the Sant'Egidio communities in the world for the 48th anniversary of a family without borders ....

Paris, France - In town "there was no place for them" ...

There are those who must seek refuge in the great outdoors of a beautiful, but not always welcoming, city .... 

Youth for Peace of the Community of Sant'Egidio go to look for and find their friends off the usual paths.

DREAM, something keeping grow and come true

DREAM program in Africa, today: not only prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Warsaw, Poland - Warming youngest and oldest hearts ...

At the residence for elderly Solcu youngest and not of Sant'Egidio Community sing  together traditional Polish songs. 

Memory and friendship warm the heart, even in this European mid-winter.

Rome, Italy - Pastors of mercy, in prison

As part of the conference that a hundred of bishops from around the world held in Rome with Sant'Egidio wondering about how to be the Church of Mercy in a complex world, it could not be missed the opportunity to live a "practice" of mercy and share a service to the poor. 

Here in the picture the visit of 30 bishops to the Roman prison of Regina Coeli.

The meeting with the questions of many, the search for consolation and forgiveness, the possibility to open their heart in their own language ...; all this touched pastors and inmates.

Lusaka, Zambia - The future of peace, the peace of the future

A beautiful picture of the School of Peace run by the Community of Sant'Egidio in Lusaka.