Simone Parimbelli in Castel Volturno: “Here, too, is mission”

The parish of the Comboni Missionaries in Castel Volturno has been stable for 25 years now, started back on January 1, 1997 with Fr. Giorgio Poletti, now there are Fr. Daniele Moschetti and Fr. Sergio Agustoni who are introducing me to the life of the mission with patience and calm, telling me the history of the community and introducing me to the people who work with them. It is a new experience the presence of an LMC in a community of Comboni Fathers, but even more, it is a new opportunity to be on a mission within the geographical boundaries of Italy, because, as Pope Francis often repeats, the mission is no longer to be understood in a geographical sense, but it is to go out into the existential peripheries of humanity so… here, too, is mission.

Because of the short amount of time that has passed, I cannot say much, but the reality of Castel Volturno is complex and presents dynamics that are typical of Africa, due to the strong presence in the area of men and women from that continent, as well as Afro-descendant boys and girls, born in Italy, not recognized by the law, who go to local schools and speak Italian, albeit with a typical Neapolitan cadence, to which are added all the difficulties of an area wounded by the illegality of the Camorra, by social and environmental degradation. The morning begins with Mass in the parish at 7:00 am with the 3 Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart: Sr. Liberty, Sr. Nelly and Sr. Joselyn who come from the Philippines and carry out their service in the Migrantes Center with the guests welcomed. If the morning sometimes has a bland pace, the afternoon, as they say, flies by!

Every day, I spend it at the Black & White Center in Castel Volturno with the 50 or so children who come for after-school tutoring from 3-7pm. We don’t just do homework, because on Tuesdays we are supposed to start theater, on Wednesdays we already do sports, on Thursdays art with Dory and on Fridays we see a movie. In just a few weeks, I have already met many people who gravitate around the Comboni community of Castel Volturno: the Black & White educators, the team of the Diocesan Missionary Center of Capua, the director of the Migrantes Center and the hosted kids, the youth and teenagers of the Santa Maria dell’Aiuto parish, the SUAM group of Campania, the boys and girls of the INFORMARE magazine editorial staff, the Ukrainian community that celebrates Sunday Mass with their rite, the priests of the Forania of Lower Volturno, the scholastics Daniel and Jerry who come from Casavatore on weekends, the volunteers of the parish of the Food Bank, the young people of the Civil Service… all this myriad of people gives you an idea of the great ferment in Castel Volturno, because… here, too, is mission.

I thought of telling this missionary experience in Castel Volturno with some short films called VOLT CAST, the name reminds us of the famous podcasts to listen to that are gaining ground in the world of communication, but VOLT CAST are to be seen, watched and looked at, the intent is to show the faces of this reality, because behind a face there is a story, there is the person, there is the whole life, with all its joys and difficulties, to tell and show this reality of existential periphery of humanity, because… here, too, is mission.

Simone Parimbelli, CLM Italy