In Ostia Pope Francis visits nuns who live among fairground people
The pontiff visits the small community established in 1966. Inspired by the charisma of Charles de Foucauld, it is a token of fraternity with the families of those who work at one Rome amusement park. The sisters live in an old trailer converted into a house and chapel, offering their "Noah's Ark" game with a message of peace and hope.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis this afternoon travelled to Ostia, on the coast near Rome, to visit again Sister Geneviève Jeanningros, a Little Sister of Jesus who lives with a community of fairground (carnival) people and circus performers at a amusement park.
"The Holy Father blessed a statue of Our Lady protector of the travelling show and the circus and greeted the families and children present,” reads a press release by the Vatican Press Office.
Francis visited the local parish, named after the Queen of Peace already in 2015, home to a small but very important community, the result of a long friendship between the nuns, who are inspired by the charisma of Blessed Charles De Foucauld, and the show people.
"Fraternity among fairground people, both travellers and sedentary, has been present for years in various countries and was very much the goal of Little Sister Magdeleine, our foundress,” reads a text (in Italian) the Little Sisters of Jesus posted a few years ago.
"In Rome, at the Luneur [Park], it came into being in 1966. As for other Little Sisters present among workers, rural people, nomads, circus performers, Sinti and Roma, minorities, its meaning is to live like Jesus in Nazareth, in an inobtrusive presence, a family among others, trying to be... like them, one of them... living from our work, in prayer, hospitality, friendship, relationships . . .”
With the closure of the amusement park in Rome’s EUR district in 2008, the nuns too found themselves out of work.
“With them, we fought for more justice . . . but nothing could be done. Some went back travelling from place to place; others struggle to help their families. We wanted to continue to be present in the fairground world, both at festivals and in fairgrounds, as well as markets.
“Various friends invited us to stop and stay with them at permanent park. We accepted the proposal of Ginetto Pugliè whom we had known for some time and who welcomed us at the park at the Ostia Lido, more easily accessible by underground train from Roma Laurentino, where we lived. We were then joined by some from the Luneur.”
"We travelled every day from Rome to Ostia," the posted story goes on to say. “Then our neighbours gave us an old wooden trailer and a van that carried bumper cars many years ago.
“With the help of a friend from the amusement park, we were able to turn it into a 'fraternity', with a chapel, a kitchenette, and a small room, two bedrooms and a storage room, and so we live inside the Parcolido together with 12 families.”
“We were also able to bring our game, Noah's Ark, which carries a message of peace and hope," the post adds.
“Near the game, we have a stand with various handicrafts, especially with nativity scenes from many countries. Each of us feels very strongly about being part of the fairground world. We feel and are considered their sisters.”
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