On 26 March the House of Friendship was inaugurated in Padua, in the heart of the Portello district, a new space developed by the Community of Sant'Egidio, designed to build bonds, offer support to people in difficulty and encourage relations between different generations. The event was attended by city authorities, many supporters of the project together with many young and old people.
‘This House of Friendship is the result of a process of urban regeneration and social inclusion, with the aim of promoting a culture of welcome; a concrete sign of hope, in the year of the Jubilee’, Alessandra Coin, responsible for the Community of Sant'Egidio in Padua, welcomed the guests with these words and explained the different services the centre will offer after the restoration carried out by the Community: ‘Many poor people will find here a space of welcome and help. There will also be a school of Italian language and culture for young migrants and the School of Peace for children’.
‘Thus the city grows, along with the network of social relations and peaceful coexistence it needs,’ said Marco Impagliazzo, president of Sant'Egidio. ‘Here, many people will find not only concrete help but also friendship that can rebuild the sense of community lacking in our cities. It is five years since Pope Francis told us clearly that we can be saved only together. Inaugurating this house means recalling these words and this reality; we will be saved together, those who are helped and those who help and the embrace will lead the action’.
The support of the institutions
Representatives of the Church and city institutions were present, as well as donors who supported the realisation of this project. Among them were Councillor Francesca Benciolini, representing the Municipality of Padua, and the President of the Cariparo Foundation, Gilberto Muraro, who reaffirmed the institution's support for the project. He thanked the Community of Sant'Egidio for its constant presence at the side of the most vulnerable, a commitment that has enabled the Foundation to intervene effectively even in emergency situations, such as during the pandemic. Don Luca Facco, representing the Church of Padua, brought greetings from the Bishop and reflected on the value of the word ‘friendship’, capable of creating bonds between people of different ages and backgrounds.
The House of Friendship will soon be completed with the construction of two flats for elderly people living alone, in order to experiment with new forms of living together in solidarity and counter isolation.
