To mark the 25th anniversary of Itaka-Escolapios, Juan Alfonzo Serra, President of the Network, addresses us all with these words at the beginning of the celebration:
The start of a new year always brings with it an atmosphere of renewal and hope. And this year that has just begun has a special tone for our Network. On 9 March, the Itaka-Escolapios Network will celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary, consolidating itself as an educational platform for social transformation.
Twenty-five years ago, those who laid the foundations of the Network lit a flame whose duration, growth and reach they could hardly have imagined. Today, it is no longer just a single candle burning, but twenty-five. And today, Itaka-Escolapios continues to extend the mission of Calasanz through a network that connects people, countries and projects. We are not simply celebrating the passing of time or the number of candles lit each year, but all that they are able to illuminate; we celebrate the vitality of a platform which currently sustains educational works, pastoral processes, cultural centres, homes of welcome and care programmes for the most impoverished sectors in various continents.
To celebrate a birthday is to look to the past and make a grateful assessment. For those who began this story and for those who continue it, for in every corner where Itaka-Escolapios is present there is a community that firmly believes that a more just world is possible if we invest in the present of children and young people. For the volunteers who give their time to transform realities, for all those who share the mission, for the Fraternities that are part of the soul of the Network, for those who share their resources, and for God who has been a faithful companion on the way.
As we approach our central date, we invite everyone – every educator and every young person – to feel part of this story. The anniversary of 9 March is an invitation to a “going‑forth” celebration made visible in a network that wants to continue growing and giving of itself in the service of the presences. I would say – if the expression is understood – that we not only do not want to blow out the candles to extinguish them, but that we want to light many more still.
We begin this year with the joy of knowing that we are many who share this journey. May the wish we make on this anniversary be that we may be more united, more committed and more convinced that to educate‑evangelise is the best way to change the world. A happy beginning of this anniversary year to the whole family of the Itaka-Escolapios Network!
F. Juan Alfonzo Serra, Sch. P.
President of the Network Itaka-Escolapios
