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On a lukewarm June morning, we departed on a beautiful adventure toward Spain for the inauguration of  the second Cenacolo house there. The trip went well—the Madonna and the angels accompanied us with their protection and care. In the evening we joined the fraternity “Sagrado Corazón de Jesús” (“Sacred Heart of Jesus”)--the first house to be opened in Spain--that re-united families, friends, priests, and religious that came from different towns and place places to celebrate together with the Bishop of Terrassa, S.E.R. Mons. Saiz Meneses, the fraternity’s second year of life. It is in an old parish house, immersed in the greenery. We were able to give thanks for the numerous reconstruction jobs that were accomplished in these two years.
On Saturday we departed early for the new house that would  be inaugurated that day. The weather was cloudy and the journey rather long, and it was raining hard; but in the very place where the house is, the sky was calm. The terrain was soft on account of the rain, and we got stuck on a turn with the van; we had to walk the last piece of the journey on foot. Upon arriving, we found ourselves on an old piece of property surrounded by mountains, with a glimpse of a large forest. With the sun and some clouds—but no rain—the Archbishop of Tarragona, S.E.R. Mons. Jaume Pujol, blessed the house and celebrated Holy Mass, thanking Mother Elvira, Father Stefano, the numerous people that sustained this work with prayer, and the  people who took care of the house up until this day.
“It is a day of thanksgiving,” he said, “because this new house will give a lot of glory to God and will do a lot of good for Spain. Prayer, work, and friendship—with these three words the Community has been Providence for thousands of people that have passed through from the darkness to the light. The guys that will live in this house arrived on the day of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, and today it has been inaugurated on another Marian feast, that of Her Immaculate Heart. For this the fraternity will be called “Sagrado Corazón de María” (“Sacred Heart of Mary”). The Archbishop made a reference to the day’s Gospel in which Mary and Joseph forgive Jesus: “They weren’t to blame for having lost Him because Jesus tells them that He was searching for His Father. We also lose sight of Him many times…So what must we do? Search for Him. Return, like them, to the point of departure and begin again. You guys now have the possibility to relive the experience of Mary and Joseph—re-finding Jesus! It is this that we all need. I encourage you to encounter Him in this house, so that you may be able to be guardian angels that bring lots of joy to the others; and I strongly recommend the examples of Mary and Joseph. May the Lord bless you.”
At the end of the Mass, Father Stefano also gave thanks, “Thank you,” he said, “because a son is  born. Thank you not only for the new son but also for who brought him to the light. Today Mother Elvira’s heart is happy because, when a house is born, a lot of life is born! Mother Elvira once told us that this Gospel of the child lost in the temple is true today. How many fathers lose their adolescent sons! How many adolescents don’t encounter in their homes what they are searching for. Jesus the adolescent finds the answer in God, in His Father, in the Temple. The guys cleaned the house very well this week; there was a lot to do! How beautiful it is when life asks us for more sacrifice, so that even if we don’t have everything, we can be happy. It is a joy that we can make more beautiful with our work and our time the creation that God has given to us as a gift. The first Provid ence is Jesus, then your prayer, and then the guys—if there wasn’t all of this, these houses wouldn’t exist. The first young man to welcome this house is Jesus. There will be life in the house only if we welcome Him.”
At the end of the Holy Mass, the guys offered a good lunch; in the afternoon several guys, together with their families, shared by giving testimonies on their resurrection. In this manner we lived emotional moments, contemplating the work of interior reconstruction of parents and children that has passed through moments of suffering. In the evening we had a beautiful adoration with the parents where everyone gave thanks with moved hearts.
We lived two days of concretely experiencing Jesus and Mary’s good hearts that safeguarded and embraced us. The parents that were recharged with hope returned to their homes, and the guys took off again in their walks; we returned to Italy a little bit stronger in the faith, with the big gift of having contemplated the wonders that the Mercy of the Lord works.
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