Two Italian "Angels" for a day.

"Angeli per un Giorno" (Angels for a Day), an apostolate for Italian young people, continues to make dreams come true throughout Italy.

On June 8th a group of 100 volunteers between the ages of fifteen and twenty organized an activity for orphaned children in the northern Italian town of Busto Arsizio. They became "Angels" for a day as they accompanied 100 children to Giovanni sotto il Monte, birthplace of Pope John XXIII, and to the amusement park Mini Italia.

The day began with Mass at the former childhood parish of Pope John XXIII celebrated by Father Giuseppe Gamelli, LC. Later the "Angels" and their companions spent the day having fun and enjoying the care and attention of a friend at the amusement park.

A similar activity took place a few weeks before in Southern Italy in the town of Caserta. 200 "Angels" gathered to help over 250 children have an unforgettable day at the Royal Palace in Caserta and at a movie theatre in Marcianise. The day concluded with a Mass at the Villaggio dei Ragazzi.

Both events brought innumerable fruits. For the children, they had an unforgettable day, a dream come true and the "Angels" experienced first-hand that "there is more joy in giving than in receiving."

(July 29, 2003)