Last evening we visited the Community of Sant'Egidio (St. Giles) at
their official headquarters in Rome, the Basilica of Santa Maria in
Trastevere. The Community began in the 1970s as young people anxious
for social change got together and started reading the Gospels. They
began to see their vocation as consisting in contemplation and action -
praying together and helping the poor in concrete ways. Sant'Egidio is
one of the lay movements of the Church, although it has generated many
priestly and religious vocations and is under ecclesiastical oversight.
Membership in the Community, which has spread to some 70 countries,
does not include any official vows or promises - only that a member will
attend regular community prayer and do some practical work for the poor
in the course of a week. A Roman member of Sant'Egidio, Paolo,
welcomed us and gave us an explanation of the community, then
accompanied us to the nightly prayer gathering of the Community in the
Basilica.
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| Paolo explains the Community's spirituality and apostolate |
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| In order to participate in the communal prayer service, we were outfitted with translator devices! |
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| Sant'Egidio members congregating in the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere |
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| An example of Sant'Egidio's apostolate: On Christmas Day, the poor of Rome are fed a meal in the Basilica. |
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| After the visit to Sant'Egidio, the class enjoyed dinner out in Trastevere |
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