From 2 to 6 November, the international coordination team and the board of directors of the Faith and Light movement will meet at St Paul’s House in Cortegaça (Porto). The meeting will bring together the representatives of the five continents where the communities of this ecumenical movement are present. The movement “brings together people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends, especially young people”, a statement from the organisers reads. The Faith and Light movement has “more than 1,290 communities spread across 51 provinces on five continents, 86 countries and 38 different languages. Regardless of age, social origin or culture, the members of the Faith and Light communities belong to different Christian traditions: Catholic, Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox”, the statement points out. In Portugal, there are 13 communities that make up the Lusitanian province of the movement; they are “rooted in parishes and participate in the life of the Church. The members of each community meet at least once a month for moments of sharing, celebration, prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist, where ever deeper bonds are created”, the website of the Portuguese province reads.
The international coordination team is composed of the international coordinator, Raul Izquierdo (Spain); the deputy coordinator, Maria Silvia (Brazil); the spiritual assistant, Fr Marco Bove (Italy); and of thirteen deputy coordinators who follow the activities of the provinces on all continents.