At the end of the Festival of Life 2022 which celebrated the 39th year of Comunità Cenacolo, we wish to thank all those who in different ways contributed to make these days beautiful and luminous:

THANK YOU to the God of Life for having given us four splendid days of Light, of Peace, of Prayer, of Fraternity, of Joy… which created an atmosphere of deep communion and familiarity among people who came from so many countries;

THANKS to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, because the words he gave us during his visit to our house in Rome last December 8th echoed strongly in the hearts of all those present during the days of the Festival;

THANKS to Mother Elvira for her generous ‘yes’ to God and today her ‘yes’ to the Cross, which allows the Lord’s love to restore the joy of life to so many;

THANKS to the Bishops and priests who proclaimed the Word of the Lord in catechesis in presence or online, and bringing the Church’s embrace to those present:

– H.E. Msgr. Cristiano Bodo, Bishop of Saluzzo;

– H.E. Msgr. Antonín Basler, Auxiliary Bishop of Olomuc (Czech Republic);

– H.E. Msgr. Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulan Bator (Mongolia), newly appointed Cardinal by Pope Francis;

– Father Pino of “Città dei Ragazzi” in Cuneo;

– Father Francesco Peyron, Missionary of the Consolata;

– Father Francesco Piloni OFM, Provincial of the Friars Minor of Assisi.

– Father Luigi Maria Epicoco, ecclesiastical assistant of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication.

THANKS to the friends from Ukraine who shared with us the pain of the war in their land and the living faith of their people, opening up to us a concrete sharing for their many needs.

THANK YOU to the many priests who came from various lands and “poured” the Lord’s Mercy on so many wounded hearts;

THANK YOU to St Francis of Assisi who through the presence of his relics was with us at the Festival, pouring a shower of blessings from Heaven on those present;

THANKS to the Mayor of Saluzzo, Mauro Calderoni, who brought the greetings and closeness of the city to those present;

THANKS to the various witnesses who testified to us of their risen lives through their encounter with the Community;

THANKS to the young people of Cenacolo who for weeks prepared the songs, the musicals and dances, the photo exhibitions and the spaces for the festival with commitment and sacrifice; thanks to the car park attendants, the stage and tent service, the toilet cleaning team, those who cooked and served meals to the young people and guests; a special thanks to the director, cameramen and translators who served all those who connected via streaming.

THANKS to the host of volunteers, the true “guardian angels” of this Festival: parents, young people, friends and acquaintances who served the thousands of people who came to Saluzzo’s hillside over the past few days with joy and gratuitousness at the various stands and responsibilities;

THANKS to the mothers and boys who lovingly cooked for the priests and guest speakers;

THANKS to Providence, which manifested itself through the tangible faces and generous hearts of so many people who helped us in different ways;

THANKS to our neighbours on the hill for their patience and help for the smooth running of the Festival, especially the Madala, Giraudo and Marocchino families for the lawns given for parking and for their warm welcoming;

THANKS to those who opened the doors of their homes, welcoming people who had come from afar free of charge;

THANKS to the Civil Defence and the ANA who took turns with various teams from the province to help with logistics and traffic; to the Green Cross and the volunteer doctors and nurses who offered medical assistance to the thousands of people present;

THANKS to each and every person and to all the groups who came by the thousands here on the hillside of Saluzzo from more than twenty countries around the world, to experience these unforgettable days of the Festival of Life;

THANK YOU to all those who from their homes, missions and communities prayed for us and gathered with us via live streaming;

THANK YOU to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit… thank you to the Blessed Virgin Mary… thank you to all of you… thank you for everything and forever!

The next Festival of Life will be July 13-16,  2023. We look forward to joyfully celebrating 40 years of the Comunità Cenacolo!

Mother Elvira and the whole Cenacolo Community