After Waxing Itchy Rash

DON ALFREDO NESI, Korea 40 years after


to remember the figure of Don Alfredo Nesi, I put these two articles appeared on "The Week- Toscana Oggi" January 23, 2005.

It 's the first day of spring 1962. A priest Florentine Opera del Grappa Madonna takes the road to Livorno its destination is the northern outskirts of the city, the neighborhood that residents had called Korea because the Aurelia, which separates it from the rest of the city, seemed insurmountable as the 38th parallel, which marked the boundary between the two Koreas. It is the neighborhood of the many displaced persons of war, there rebuilding effort with their new home and their new future.

That priest, Alfredo Nesi (pictured above is the first right, next to Monsignor Alberto Ablondi ), in that district will build a new church and above all give a new face to the hope of the people through a process that intertwines pastoral activities, education and culture. Don Alfredo, as it had done in Florence, together with Don Giulio Facibeni between the workers and orphans of war and Rovezzano Rifredi, mingles among the people of Korea, begins to love her, she sees the vices and virtues, the poor "are uncomfortable and scomodanti "but, say, is with them that" you learn God. "

From nothing creates Village School and there, a whole series of socio-educational-cultural experience that will feed into the national debate of those years. The periphery becomes the center: from Korea part of an experiment of national importance. The concept is innovative: to give a chance of emancipation to the youth of district through a "global educational proposal 'in a single structure are kindergarten space, but also evening classes for adults, study for the University and help in studies of the neighborhood boys.

The activity of the village is three hundred and sixty degrees, there are sports activities, educational, recreational, tourism. And then the famous debates on issues of major social impact in the 'Meetings of Korea "to which Don Nesi able to involve the big names of the culture and politics of the time; Publications libertarian pedagogy and education, the creation of a library public.

Nesi Then in 1982 Don decided to start over. Again, with the same enthusiasm, he left for Brazil, it is assigned a parish in the outskirts of Fortaleza , and there in 1992, in the favela of Jurema, create Socio-Educational Center-Health Madonna del Grappa. Even with the poor, where there is God Don Alfredo died in Brazil February 14, 2003. And a month after former students of the Village of Korea agree that it is already time to leave.

DON NESI : man of dialogue

Don Alfredo Nesi, Oltrarno basket in the seminary, was mate bench Don Lorenzo Milani. Friendship most intimate and profound that it retains until the death of pastor Barbiana. But throughout the life of Don Nesi is characterized by meetings, by the fruitful dialogue with leading figures in the secular world of Catholic renewal and open: from Giorgio La Pira to Father Ernesto Balducci , by Archbishop Alfred Ancel to Peter Ingrao . This dialogue-style, set to open but deeply Catholic confessional, the open many doors, it will be many awards, but it will also be showing a lack of understanding and closure.

us to investigate, at least for a while, the complexity of the figure of Nesi, is Fixed Don Roberto (died in September 2007 pictured right), pastor at Our Lady of the Rosary, linked by a long friendship with the pastor of Korea and now one of the two "guarantors" together with Professor Henry Colombini Association Don Nesi / Korea " I believe that Don Alfredo - says Don Roberto - was presented to Monsignor Pangrazio by Father Ernesto Balducci. Balducci for me, and for the young priests of the time, was one of those figures, along with Turoldo, to Mazzolari, there were impassioned and we hope for a different church. He then presented with a "sponsor" respectable. "

For the church Leghorn Don Nesi meant then buy more breathing wide.
"We immediately struck by organizing a Lectio Divina in which we presented the spirituality of the Prado: the work of Bishop Ancel and the worker priests of Lyon. I remember you very angry with us young priests: I was accustomed to my reading rationalistic philology of the page instead of the gospel and he put us in the middle of the word, trying to make us understand what the Lord wanted to say here and now. But I also remember that we met with him the experience of Don Enzo Mazzi Isolotto of Florence and the Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. Put us in contact with a church that opened to the world. "

In the pure spirit of the Council.
"Yes, he brought forward this idea of \u200b\u200ba strong church as a community and a dynamic commitment to the ripening of man. Search and poor, the two cornerstones of its action: the word to feed the Church becomes a community in the service of men. The poor have to make them self-promoting economically and culturally. "

Some people, however, accused him of neglecting prayer.
"Not true, because Don Alfredo prayed and prayed in earnest. The Word nourishes the Church, a Church community lives of prayer, so the Eucharist is the center, but does not stay there, is sent to the poor, the poor with indifference. "

Unselfishness in what sense?
"In the sense that no one use the service to the poor: I bear witness to the Gospel, they, if they want, choose it. Commitment to the Church was the foundation of his commitment to the promotion of man, and the aging man came first. "

a maturity that ran through the dialogue with the world of politics?
"Korea was an important place for reflection and dialogue with all. In par ticular , although this was difficult in the '70s, Don Nesi was convinced that it was necessary to stop with the option of choosing one policy for Catholics: he thought a pluralistic church. Promoted dialogue Christianity, Marxism, which is now taken for granted, but then it was prophetic. "

But this also brought him some problemuccio.
"I remember a controversy over the" Candide ", the magazine of the right, where Don Nesi was presented as one of the goldfish planted by Bishop Guano Fuci and movement with the graduates."

Leghorn and clergy welcomed as these openings?
"With some misunderstanding. The dialogue in Livorno had to measure the cultural poverty of the political world in which they engaged. Our priests were accustomed to confrontation rather than meeting with the Communist Party. Don Nesi instead came from Florence and Balducci's Last Supper: There was a hotbed of Catholic culture that was confronted with major political figures of Marxists. Don Alfredo tried to reproduce here the dialogue fruitful but difficult. "

What then of the experience of Don Nesi can be drawn for today?
"I think the most important aspect is the tension continues to stand tall culturally, never get tired to think deeply, to focus on culture, human advancement and commitment to a school for everyone. And then the commitment never failed over the life of Don Nesi, because Christians have a big heart for the poor. To give the poor things better. "

Link:
- Opera
Madonna del Grappa - Don Foundation Nesi / Korea
- Center Don Nesi: a flower in the desert of poverty from Tuscany Today