On the outskirts of Italy, by the will of the Holy Father Francesco, the small house of Mercy of Gela (Sicily) was born in 2013, today a great reality that assists almost five hundred disadvantaged families of the Nissian territory through the many volunteers who live the spirituality of mercy, antidote to the culture of waste which increasingly imposes itself. The “small house of mercy” was requested by the Pope himself from Don Pasqualino di Dio, who, after taking part in the Pope’s first public mass, on March 17, 2013, was received at the hearing and on that occasion he spoke to Pope Francis of the social reality of Sicily particularly of Lampedusa and the difficulties of many families in his city. Francesco listened to him and suggested to him to create a home of spirituality that was a sign of the welcome of his father’s mercy. Pope Francis made the message of the mercy of God the heart of his pontificate expressed not only in indirecting an extraordinary jubilee of mercy but in the attention to the poor, the last ones. The Holy Father has always been updated of the developments of this Sicilian reality and, in 2020, while pandemic still raged, he wanted to write a letter of his own hand to manifest the closeness to this reality: “Sort to help those who are tried by discomfort and precariousness”, and to encourage those who spend each day without reservations. The proximity work to love people, who pay in problematic conditions, is a lighthouse of light and hope in the darkness of suffering and resignation – highlights the Pope -; It is an appreciated sign of sharing the Church with the inconveniences and labors of their people; It is an admirable example of evangelical and church charity, which is so good for the ecclesial and civil community ».
Don Pasqualino of God explains: “Although we are so sorry for the death of our beloved Holy Father, he echoes one of his first shouts in us:” Do not be stolen from hope “. I had the joy and grace of meeting the Holy Father many times who gave a boost to my presbyteral vocation, I will never be able to Forget his words that has repeated me many times: “You occupied the poor and God will worry about you”. He served the church until the last, reaching the heart of everyone with his phrable voice to remind us of the precious commitment for peace, the first gift of the Risen One, wearing the scent of sheep, stroking with his eyes and his blessing the whole world, he dismissed on tiptoe, as he used to do. Today the small house of Mercy, born from his heart of Pastore thanks to the many volunteers who go to many families who go to many families. Various services including: the Listening Center, Work Desk, Distribution of Food Pacces, Emporium of Clothes, Solidarity canteen, Dormitory, Anti -violence desk, Medical Clinic, Day Center for children, Crafts workshops (sewing, carpentry, ceramic) carried out by the Raphael Cooperative, operational rib of the small house. The whole work is based on providence and volunteering that have the Eucharistic adoration and lectio divine as their pivot “.
Great was the attention that Pope Francis wanted to reserve in his visit to the diocese of Piazza Armerina in September 2018, the clients of the small house on that occasion, sculpted the presidential headquarters they hold together with a statue of the Madonna who personally gave Pope Francis for the Church of the Divine Mercy seat of perpetual Eucharistic adoration. In the private hearing of November 6, 2023, Pope Francis addressing the 300 Gelesi pilgrims said: «You have come here as a large family, in which everyone has different and complementary gifts and tasks and this rich variety tells the path through which, in recent years, you have developed a project of articulated and concrete asset. Starting from situations of discomfort, you have tried to embrace all people and the whole person in charity, cope with multiple needs and promoting various initiatives: from the daily canteen for the poor to the craft workshops, from school recovery services to spaces for dialogue for families in difficulty. You can see that there is movement there, and this is beautiful; You can see that you let yourself be caused and worried by the needs of the brothers and sisters that God has placed on your journey, especially of the last ones, of the most needy ».
On that occasion, Pope Francis delivered a precious icon of Mercy by starting the Peregrinatio merserardiæ International that is visiting the churches and squares of the world and will do it until the Jubilee of 2033. The small house of mercy together with the apostolic fraternity of mercy are part of the National Coordination of the realities of Mercy, which collects about a hundred realities which are inspired by the message of the Divine Mercy and which, on 14 and 15 September, will meet in Rome to live their Jubilee. Today, as then, the words of merciful Jesus entrusted to Santa Faustina Kowalska and many times remembered by John Paul II and Pope Francis to Santa Faustina: “Humanity will not find peace, until it turns to trust my mercy with confidence”.
