Heartbeats

27/09/2022

Heart to Heart - September 2022

At the center of Italian life is the piazza – a crossroads in every community where people gather to engage in commerce, political activity and prayer. Whether early in the morning when vendors set up for market or late in the afternoon when families enjoy chatting during their ‘passeggiata,’ the piazza is always alive with activity.

No doubt St. Angela found herself at the heart of a piazza every day. As a woman dedicated to the well-being of her community, she would have embraced the opportunity to engage in conversation with neighbors, to welcome visitors and to listen with authentic openness to a wide variety of thoughts and experiences.,

This image of St. Angela in the piazza, open to all, listening compassionately, and engaging with the world thoughtfully, guides our theme for Heart to Heart this year: An Angela Response to the Reality of Our Times. Like St. Angela in the piazza, we hope to provide a forum to exchange ideas and to ponder a wide array of current day challenges. In an increasingly complex educational, social, religious, and political landscape, listening and openness are powerful tools to forward St. Angela’s mission. We are hopeful for a rich exchange during the year ahead, and we begin this exchange in Ukraine as we hear firsthand accounts from those directly affected by the war and from those who welcomed Ukrainian refugees into their midst. It is a longer issue than usual, but we felt it important to include all that we received.