Romana

In Fauglia, a small industrial town in the province of Pisa, a school was dedicated to Pope John Paul II and a square to St. Josemaría Escrivá. The Scuola Giovanni Paolo II is located on the new Piazza San Josemaría Escrivá. On the evening of January 27 a public ceremony was held in Fauglia entitled Giovanni Paolo II e San Josemaría Escrivá, messageri del III millennio. Among the speakers were Tommaso Strambi, a journalist for the La Nazione newspaper in Florence, Cesare Stefanini, a robotics researcher at the Istituto Sant’Anna in Pisa, and Fr. Robin Weatherill, a priest of Opus Dei. On the following day, Saturday, the inauguration of the school and square took place. The mayor of Fauglia, Riccardo Froli, took part in the ceremony, as did Bishop Fausto Tardelli of San Miniato. The latter spoke about the relationship between the teachings of St. Josemaría and those of John Paul II. Before his remarks, a message from Pope Benedict XVI was read.

On January 28, the city of Rapallo, near Genoa, also dedicated a plaza to St. Josemaría. Present at the ceremony were the mayor, Armando Ezio Capurro, and Bishop Alberto Tanasini of Chiavari, among other civil and religious authorities, together with a large number of the public. The inauguration of the plaza was preceded by a simple ceremony in which, in addition to the mayor and the bishop, addresses were given by the rector of the Campus Biomedico University in Rome, Vincenzo Lorenzelli, and Fr. Gérard Thieux, chaplain of the Peschiere University Residence in Genoa. The Piazza San Josemaría Escrivá overlooks the sea. From it one can also see the old Genoa highway that St. Josemaría undoubtedly traveled on June 23, 1946, on his first trip to Rome.

On March 26, in Naples, an image of St. Josemaría was installed in the parish church of Our Lady of Victory. The blessing took place during Sunday Mass. The pastor, Fr. Enzo Loiodice, held up the life of St. Josemaría as an example for his faithful and, with Easter fast approaching, invited them to prepare themselves with a personal conversion shown in specific acts of charity. To that end, the collection at Mass was earmarked for the construction of wells for drinking water in a rural area of India.