Seven days of hard work for hundreds of workers, many of whom feel the need for spiritual comfort. The tradition of celebrating a Mass for the workers of the Sanremo Festival existed in the past, but was then interrupted. With this edition, however, we will resume thanks to the initiative of Don Walter Insero, professor of theology at the Gregorian University and part of the RAI chaplaincy. He has been in Sanremo since yesterday and will remain for the entire duration of the Festival. «The Mass was born from the desire to share this experience with all the Rai workers», Don Walter Insero tells us. «The Sanremo machine is made up of many people who work behind the scenes, even for months beforehand, and they don’t appear like the singers and hosts, but they are fundamental. Theirs is great teamwork: they are like “an orchestra, in which everyone plays their role”.
«The first appointment was this morning, the Lord’s Day, which also coincides with the start of the Festival, at least here in Sanremo». Then the race broadcast live on TV begins on Tuesday 24th. But 180 Rai collaborators arrived today alone; others were already there and others will arrive. In short, an army of people. «At the mass in the Church of San Siro there weren’t many of us, but there were representatives of almost all types of Rai workers.”
The Gospel of the day, the one dedicated to temptations of Jesus in the desert by the devil gave Don Walter Insero the opportunity to reflect on the fact that temptation comes at the moment of greatest vulnerability. «Here the devil finds fertile ground to divide, as his name itself indicates (diabolos: he who divides). So here we live together, we work together, often under stress, with anxiety, worry, and disagreements and tensions can arise. At that time I urged them to work as a team and overcome divisions. However, I would like to say that it strikes me a lot to see that those who do this work with sacrifice, because they are away from home for a long time, also have a strong sense of belonging to the Rai company, knowing that they are contributing to the Italian Song Festival in every home. And this strong sense of belonging is also a glue for relations between workers. Furthermore, during this morning’s Mass, all the artists who have participated in the Sanremo Festival over the years and who are recently deceased, praying for them: Pippo Baudo, Beppe Vessicchio, Ornella Vanoni, Celso Valli, Sandro Giacobbe, Tony Dallara, Gianni Pettinati, Nora Orlandi. An artist obviously leaves us a lot of himself and his soul, and knowing that he can be remembered in the Mass makes us feel closer to everyone.”
From Monday to next Saturday there will be a weekday Mass celebrated by Don Walter Insero every morning before workers are absorbed in the day. It will be from 10.30 to 11, always in the Church of San Siro, but anyone, the artists themselves, tourists, citizens of Sanremo, can participate. «I think it’s nice to know that there is this oasis of prayer in the heart of Sanremo, in the oldest church, whose origins date back to before the year 1000, where there is a small community that gathers and prays. I believe it can also be a comfort to those who cannot come, because we will celebrate it in support of all the workers, invoking the Lord’s blessing upon them, as if we were a sort of spiritual lightning rod.” For the rest of the day Don Walter Insero will tour the many places that enliven the Ligurian town with events, ready to give spiritual comfort to anyone who needs it, as in the tradition of every chaplain who goes among his flock.
