THE HOUSE OF CULT OF FRA' GABRIELE MARIA ALLEGRA OPENED IN SAN GIOVANNI LA PUNTA

"Live in the joy that is half holiness", said Fra' Gabriele Allegra; so it was on the seventh anniversary of his proclamation as blessed and, in the Franciscan way of life, the Feast of Joy was held for the inauguration of his restored birthplace that will become a place of worship, in which Gabriele was born on the 26th December 1907.

Many people throughout the day followed the event and there were also civil authorities who promised support for the non-profit association "Gabriele tra le genti" which includes some relatives of the blessed. The mayor Antonino Bellia said: "We all have the obligation to guard this house of prayer so that it becomes a spiritual reference point for those who desire to deepen and experience the value of those feelings that in his youth made clear in Gabriele's soul the will to spend his life serving others".

Fra' Matthias Choi

Fra 'Matthias Choi, a Franciscan friar from Hong Kong, who accompanied the large group of Chinese brothers and devotees, told us he felt "very fortunate to be here in the house of the blessed and to be able to spend this day together with many brothers and with the family of the blessed; a very important occasion and a long journey that we have faced with a heart full of joy; I hope to return again to this  blessed house with Chinese pilgrims”.

Salvatore Cifalinò