The Last Day and Beyond

After finishing their finals, the Catholic University of America (CUA) students went on the last Homeless Food Run of the semester and what might have been their last ever Homeless Food Run in Rome. A group of thirteen students from the Australian Catholic University (ACU) who had recently arrived in Rome joined the Food Run that night, and the CUA students felt as if they were passing the torch to future students at the Rome center. It was reassuring to see that the service was to continue in the CUA Rome campus for many generations to come, for it was indispensable to a unique and experience of Rome. Of course, it was already obvious that service must be an integral part of any college campus, but the experience of going on the Food Runs made its importance ever clearer.

Homeless Food Runs are a way to meet people. However, what separates them from other opportunities to meet people is that the interaction is concretely one of service. This is the way that every relationship must fundamentally be, for service to another communicates true love and an acknowledgement of dignity. In this way, a great bond between people forms when service is carried out. The students said a heartfelt goodbye to the homeless friends that they had made.

Later, they returned to San Bartolomeo's Church for a prayer service among volunteers with a reflection on a passage of the gospel of Matthew. Then, the Italian volunteers prepared a farewell party for the CUA students who came to the Homeless Food Runs every week. They cooked pasta alla Carobonara and served the famous Italian Panetone bread for desert. We ate around a table as a family and talked together about the organization Sant'Egidio. Our leader Paolo urged the CUA students to continue doing service and start a branch of the Sant'Egidio in our home states. Contacts were exchanged and there was brainstorming on how to bring Sant'Egidio to even more people than the many around the world who are already impacted by the organization's work.

The Sant'Egidio organization is so important because not only does it do service but it has been approved by the Catholic Church, heavily emphasizing the importance of faith and reliance on God. It is truly a community, for it cares about the people themselves--body, mind, and soul--and not simply feeding a number of mouths. The community has grown so much globally because it is centered around God, evidenced by its numerous prayer services each week. The Holy Spirit keeps it together because "where two or three have gathered together in [His] name . . . there [He is] in their midst" (Matthew 18:20).

Service Through Mary

                                              Icon of the Holy Face of Jesus in the Church of Sant'Egidio, Rome.

The Homeless Food Run last Thursday fell on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is devoutly celebrated by Italians as a national holiday. For example, on their way to the Food Run, a group of student volunteers from The Catholic University of America heard fireworks fired in the direction of Campo di Fiori piazza in honor of the Virgin Mary. Upon arrival at the kitchen above San Bartolomeo's Church where the food is prepared, the students were told that there was much work to be done because of the feast day of the Mother of God. All of the volunteers were lively and energetic. One of the Italian helpers, for instance, proudly recounted what he had done that day, saying that he had bought statues of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Medjugorje, as well as a statue of Jesus Christ and a large crucifix to place in his room. Another volunteer is a musician and he was handing out free CDs to the volunteers in honor of the Blessed Mother.

Then, the group headed out to the streets to meet the homeless people earlier than usual so as to say a prayer with them before dinner. The infamous Sant'Egidio icon of Jesus that the group brought from San Bartolomeo enclosed the circle of those gathered together. This prayer included an opening song, the reading of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38), an explanation and reflection of the reading, an Our Father, the sign of peace, and a concluding song.

After the prayer service, dinner was served and, as always, conversation began. However, the experience of the Food Run was different than ever before. There was an even deeper connection between the volunteers and the homeless, reflected in trusting and confident conversation. The reason for this connection is that not only were they gathered physically, intellectually and emotionally but now were also united spiritually. The importance of this spiritual connection was emphasized starting with the preparation of the food at San Bartolomeo's and later in the prayer which was prioritized as the first activity of the evening. This was the first time at the homeless food runs where attention was not directly concentrated on helping other people. Instead, all of the attention was on God, and this action united the group more than ever. A feeling of equality among all was present because of the fact that everyone-- both the distributors of food and the homeless people-- worships and serve one God. It put them on the same level of dignity.

The effect of this strong connection was shown in that the homeless people were giving away the hot chocolate that they received from the volunteers. There was the spirit of service and generosity towards one another stemming from a recognition of each person's dignity granted by God, and it was manifested by the care that people showed each other. There was nothing that anyone lacked that night, for there is no doubt of the presence of Jesus Christ through Mary at the Homeless Food Run.

Italy Through Christ's Eyes

The homeless food run outings organized by the Sant'Egidio community are quickly approaching an end for the fall semester students at the Catholic University of America (CUA) Rome center. For the past four months, the students have been meeting other American and Italian students as well as the Italian homeless population. The memories made during the service outings have shaped the students' experience of Italian life abroad indispensably. One student expressed that "There is nothing that I will miss more about Rome than the people at these homeless food runs." Moreover, the students unfailingly ask themselves how they have been so fortunate as to find this group of terrific people.

What makes this service project so impacting is that interaction with people who have been humbled (that is--the volunteers give of themselves to the poor, and the homeless persons have no luxuries) and are therefore more open to giving of themselves to others genuinely and without reserve. Truly, the CUA students have encountered God in the people that they serve, for Jesus says that "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40). Because of their inclination to be genuine, the best way of getting to know a foreign country is by coming to know its poor.

The volunteers not only recognized Jesus in the poor population, but they identified with Him. Every Thursday, there were familiar faces at the homeless food runs, enabling a real bond to form. The students were able to more vividly sympathize with the struggle of the homeless people who were worried about a member of their sick family member, about an imminent and necessary trip to a different country, for their medical conditions, for their worries about their life goals. Likewise, the students found support from the homeless people, for the majority are learned. Speaking in different languages, they discuss politics, the state of life in other countries, or even something simple such as the struggles of school.

The identification of the students with the homeless have been invaluable for their CUAbroad experience. One gets to know the city of Rome through the eyes of true Italians not only by visiting museums, ancient ruins, or eating Italian food but especially by meeting the humble Italians that spend their time near these places and who themselves eat the food. The experience abroad is transformed by identifying with sharers of Christ's poverty.