Feast of the Comboni Association Emigrant Service at the General Curia in Rome

The Annual Assembly of the members of the Comboni Association Emigrant Service (Italian acronym Acse) took place on 5^th May. The president, Father Venanzio Milani, presented the problems migrants are facing at present, and highlighted the various activities carried out by the Acse in 2023 in the fields of dental services, Italian and computer courses, legal assistance, tailoring courses, finding and distributing food to individuals and families, etc. The activities are possible thanks to more than 50 volunteers.

The Assembly renewed the board of directors. The only change compared to before is the inclusion of Father Luigi Codianni in place of Father Lino Spezia, who has moved to another community. The Assembly thanked Father Lino for his great service to ACSE over many years and wished him all the best.

On 26^th May, the ACSE Feast was held at the General Curia in Rome. Around 90 people attended, including members and volunteers from the various services that the Association renders to university students who benefit from our scholarships. Then ‘Io Capitano’, a 2023 film directed by the well-known director Matteo Garrone, was screened. The film tells the adventurous journey of two young men, Seydou and Moussa, who leave Senegal to reach Europe. A true contemporary ‘Odyssey’ through the pitfalls of the desert, the horrors of detention centres in Libya, and the dangers of the Mediterranean Sea. The screening of the film was followed by an interesting and critical debate.

New graduates were introduced to the participants and detailed information on the activities of the association was given. After a participated Eucharistic celebration, a ‘fraternal agape’ closed the festival.
Father Venanzio Milani, mccj