{"id":5548,"date":"2023-12-23T17:59:52","date_gmt":"2023-12-23T16:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sancarlo.org\/che-nessuno-resti-solo\/"},"modified":"2024-01-12T17:07:38","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T16:07:38","slug":"che-nessuno-resti-solo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sancarlo.org\/en\/che-nessuno-resti-solo\/","title":{"rendered":"That no one remain alone!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On Wednesday, December 20th, at our parish of St. Raphael, we organized a Christmas dinner that was somewhat particular. We called it, \u201cThat no one remain alone!\u201d: a dinner dedicated to the people on the street, the elderly, the addicted, the teen mothers and all of the most marginalized persons of the city. While imagining this event, we and our friends of the parish expressed desire from the get-go to have a beautiful dinner, as if those invited were Christ Himself. Our desire was that these persons could be welcomed in a way that the family of Nazareth was not. In a certain sense, we wanted to put on a reparative dinner, where the \u201cother\u201d could find in us someone who welcomes them, saying \u201cyes, stay here with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so we began to organize it. First, we asked the best chefs in Asunci\u00f3n to help us, and they came to us with the same menus that they were used to preparing in the finest restaurants of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We then asked ourselves: how can we make sure that those invited will actually come? We got in touch with other associations who work with the indigent and with people in difficulty. They contributed some vans in which they went to look for those invited and, after dinner, to bring them home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We then asked all of the parishioners to \u201csponsor\u201d one of those invited, so as to involve everyone in a gesture of charity. Perhaps this was the most beautiful thing: it was not a dinner to raise funds for the poor, but it was a dinner for the poor, paid for directly by our parishioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This was the most beautiful thing: it was not a dinner to raise funds for the poor, but it was a dinner for the poor<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We calculated that there would be about 200 persons; however, many more than that arrived. Thank goodness our cooks had arrived ready and were able to feed everyone, and there were even some leftovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kids from our \u201cYouth Center\u201d took care of the table service. Fifty young people started in the morning working to set all of the tables and then, in the evening, served everyone as if each person were Christ Himself. At the end of the dinner, these same young people cleaned everything. Truly a sight to behold!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a moving image to see people full of emotion for the fact of being served in such a beautiful place, like the parish of St. Raphael, and with a dinner so well prepared. Some even launched into dance, others into song, others to recite poems. In a word, what emerged in the end was a great party. Furthermore, every person brought home a gift as well. The gesture allowed us to begin relationships with many people, but also with associations which are dedicated to the most needy. In fact, the economic gain that we obtained with the evening allowed us to help some of these new friends in their needs. A true Christmas, where we were not afraid to say \u201cyes.\u201d Concretely, an education to charity that young people and adults of our parish will not forget. In these days, the face of the parish is different: I see people who are content and grateful. In the end, this is Christmas: allowing the diverse par excellence, <\/em>Jesus Christ, center of our lives, to enter and welcoming Him.<\/p>\n\n\n