The “Canteen”

The Hospitality & agrave; – The Mensa

P1030539

Friends & more ugrave; elderly Don Luigi remember the hospitality & agrave; of his family. In that house & quot; Rongio the & quot;, with many children to raise, and in times of abundance and consumerism not yet, anyone who knocked at the door was invited to sit at the table if gi & agrave; was laden, or to stop if the time was not yet right one.

And the life of Don did quell'ospitalit & agrave; a program of life. Since the days of the early days to the & quot; casermone & quot;, la "mensa" open to anyone in need or pleasure & egrave; was an essential and distinctive feature of the life of Don Luigi. In the early days he was the factotum, furiere and Cambusiere, cook and assistant cook, nurse and waiter at the same time, always the last to sit down and just after the last of the arrivals was served and satisfied.

Then came the first employees in this sector, women in the same barracks that devote a little' of their time to help this priest who demonstrates that he thoroughly learned the lessons of mother Edda and stretching more and more & ugrave; the table of his house to make up the furniture in order that the main & egrave; never happens that someone does not find a place. These collaborators of the first hour, Corina, the & quot; grandmother & quot;, the Liliana and many others are now using the same Don Luigi in the house of the Father.

At one point, there's also the Sisters of Loreto, and in particular the unforgettable Sister Fernanda that accompany it in the challenging & nbsp; " the new & quot; house & quot;.

Then again countless women who have donated a variety of adventures agrave; because of mornings & egrave; the & quot; house & quot;, anyone come, found something to put in your stomach. Women generous and faithful commitment to allow Don to devote himself to more and more & ugrave; numerous commitments within and especially outside and sometimes very far from the & quot; house & quot;, Cooks competent and capable, per well contented & ograve; it, being able to return sometime a bit' before noon, Don wore the same again under the apron and confirmed their looks pleased his mastery in the kitchen inherited from mother Edda, that all the affectionate slang of the house now called & quot; mammoth & quot;. When & quot; mammut" came to visit the house (not very often because egrave &; to Rongio there were always other guests to be served) the kitchen was covered by a tremor, the atmosphere was shivered with excitement and electricity & agrave; for special occasions, as when a general came to inspect an advanced department. And that day any of the ingredients were put into play at the beginning of the morning, diners at noon and surroundings were always something of & quot; special & quot;.

& Nbsp;P1030528Even the equipment conform, right at the & quot; house" appear the first equipment & quot; & hotel because egrave; between the number of diners & quot; internal" ed "esterni" the & quot; house" & Egrave; almost always higher than the fifty. Don Luigi, if only the schedules of commitments allow it, does not give a & quot; serve" the & quot; her family & quot;. At the & quot; house" appears the mythical & quot; cart" of food which sometimes seems to collapse under the variety & agrave; and the amount & agrave; trays and Don Luigi in this version of waiter proves to be special, rarely happens that some diner can not be satisfied in every detail and personal tastes that Don knows… In the corners of the trays is always some & quot; bite confidential and personalized" for each of the diners…

P1030540

At casemone had almost exhausted the wave of the guests in the first hour, almost all problems with alcohol dependence, and began the period of the boys without family or abandonment issues because of various problems and addictions. At the & quot; house" begins then also the time of immigrants. Don Luigi welcomes all and has no difficulty & agrave; menu to create acceptable by the early Muslims who come to ask for different ways hospitality & agrave; or help at home. The roots are always those of Parmesan cuisine inherited from mother Edda. but the branches and the fruits can adapt to a world that really starts to be & quot; globalized & quot;. Don Luigi & egrave; a true precursor of globalization, many of which today fill their mouths, its globalization comes in a heart that is trying to see Jesus & ugrave; in every face I meet no difficulties & agrave; to really take the dimensions of humanity & agrave; entire horizon as their own feel and act.

E & quot; mensa" on that table & ugrave more and more; long & egrave; perhaps the most important moment of this globalization of love and kindness & agrave; of which Don Luigi & egrave; ensign was simple but convinced and convincing.

P1030526

Then came that fateful December 2006 with a diagnosis that leaves little hope & nbsp; and the deadly January 2007 in which the eyes of Don Luigi close to reality & agrave; of this world to enter the & quot; Father's house & quot ;., Don Luigi & egrave; prepared for a life at that time and there & egrave; some came unprepared. Who & egrave; unprepared for this untimely loss are his co-workers who suddenly fails his driving simple but secure. In the following months many things in reality & agrave; of that work that we all now call with the name of the neighborhood, & Quot; Aravecchia" note, but this name meaning one who has put up with the Divine Providence with a tenacious and often heroic day after day, seem to crack or break.

Ma the mensa, perhaps because egrave &; & Egrave; born with the same arrival of Don Luis and all'Aravecchia & egrave; surely the reality & agrave; pi & ugrave; tested and long-lived, does not seem to be affected by this turbulence and miraculously continues to operate thanks to the efforts of a few volunteers who in some cases travel miles to come regularly to make their contribution.

Adapt once again the kitchen equipment and appliances following the pi & ugrave; Recent directions in the field of law, and day after day the & quot; cart" to be continued, thanks to the efforts of many humble and anonymous, churning out the content to fill the pot of those who are regularly or occasionally an appointment.

The years have passed, & Egrave; came the crisis, we do not hide the growing difficulty & agrave;, and yet we are convinced that lass & ugrave; Don Luigi continue to ensure that, noon, there is someone who gird apron that was his and that the cart there is the quantity & agrave; enough food to satisfy the guests until the end of the long table. And this still for countless years…

P1030530

07032008293070320082940703200829707032008298