La nostra storia
The
Community was born on 11 December 1981 when Guenda and Anne, together with
little Fabio and Maria, begin to live together in a small house in Ciampino.
Within a few months, II Chicco organized itself as an Onlus Association and became
a preliminary member and, after a few years, a permanent member of the
International L’Arche Federation.
The
initial spark
Sometimes,
some encounters last an instant and have the flavor of eternity, the instant
lived is so rich and profound that it has the intensity of a spark of fire.
A
brief moment that seems to have such strength that it becomes the starting
point of a journey, and to which one refers in the dark moments, as a little
light that cannot go out.
The meeting with Francesca was one of these privileged moments. She was there, in her wheelchair, on the terrace of the orphanage in Rome, where there were other children like her, aged four or five. Francesca did not walk, she did not speak, she did not see ... But her face so clear and so delicate was an invitation to stop near her, and her smile asked to create bonds of friendship. Francesca's cry, through that smile that emanated from all her wounded being, her presence, her expectation of being loved, touched, accepted was so strong that it resounded in our hearts like a joyful and grave gong and attracted us in an irresistible way.
Where
did this wonderful ability to touch hearts so deeply and make them vulnerable
to welcome the cry that Francesca carried within herself: "Do you want to
live with me?"
On
the door of the orphanage, it was clear that Francesca would be the little
founder of a community for children with intellectual disabilities who had no
family.
But this seed, so fragile, once thrown on the ground, had to die to
bear a lot of fruit.
And even before being accepted into the nascent community,
when everything was ready, Francesca fell ill with severe bronchitis and left
as discreetly as she had lived ...
And the name chosen for this community carries within it the gift of
Francesca, "Il Chicco", the grain of wheat.
