Presentation of the Private Association of the Faithful “Avvocatura in Missione”
As President of the Association of the Faithful “Avvocatura in Missione,” I hereby present the goals and objectives of this Association which I founded and preside over.
The Association called “Avvocatura in Missione,”(Lawyers in mission) canonically approved by His Excellency Most Reverend Monsignor Giuseppe Molinari, Archbishop of L’Aquila, with a Decree dated February 9, 2005, was founded in Rome in 1999 in preparation for the Jubilee Year and in response to the exhortation of the Holy Father John Paul II to bring Christ into one’s work environment.
I felt the inspiration behind its foundation confirmed in Paris in July 2000, when, at the foot of the altar of the Madonna in the Church of the Rue du Bac, where the Virgin left us the miraculous medal, I heard this speech in my heart: “The truly poor are not the poor but the rich, the powerful of the earth, because it is more difficult for them to encounter Christ.” And again: “Globalization will not solve the problem of world conflicts, wars, and world hunger, but only if we touch the hearts of the powerful of the earth, only then will it be possible to prevent someone from pushing a button and the world from blowing up.”
Since then, I have established the Association, which is present in Italy, in various cities, in France (Paris), and has some cells in Africa.
The Association is open to all, although evangelization initiatives are aimed primarily at those with positions of responsibility in society.
The Statute establishes as its primary purpose, pursuant to art. 3 §1- chap. Article 1 of the Statute is to be a missionary and to train missionaries in its own work environment; particularly in the judicial and legislative world and in the environments with which its members have ongoing professional and non-professional relationships, knowing that only if human hearts change can justice, society, and the law also change, thus not only for better judicial justice but also to promote social justice. The additional purpose, pursuant to Article 3, paragraph 2, is to be a missionary through various charitable works for the disadvantaged and vulnerable in society, adopting projects at the regional, national, and international levels.
Our mission of evangelization in recent years has been carried out primarily for lawyers.
We have established prayer groups in every city where we are present for the spiritual formation and growth of our members, and we have organized conferences with distinguished speakers in public institutions, courthouses, and the Chamber of Deputies and Senate in Rome.
After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Lord opened the doors of my contacts with various Italian senators, and with my association we have organized conferences to call on the senators to engage in diplomacy and find ways of peace in conflicts near us.
The “Talks for Peace” conference, held in the Koch Hall of the Senate on June 19, 2024, was attended by Senators from all political factions in Italy, including Archbishop Mennini, former Apostolic Nuncio to England and Russia, and Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin, who, during his speech on the topic of peace, expressed his esteem for the work and goals of the Association of Lawyers on a Mission.
After this historic event, I urged the seven senators who led the group to work towards creating a peace instrument. A parliamentary peace integration group was thus formed, consisting of 42 Italian senators.
So far, they have done little, only a few conferences I encouraged.
I ASK for prayers that these Senators, who have shown themselves committed to defending peace and working for diplomacy, may receive strength from on high and truly be instruments in the hands of God.
Pray also for me that I may have the strength and light to carry forward the project God has entrusted to me.
I firmly believe that what the Lord has placed in my heart is right: only if the hearts of those in power change will we have peace and social justice.
It would be desirable to bring together Catholic parliamentarians and Christian, Pentecostal parliamentarians to encourage each other to do good and to be baptized in the Holy Spirit in order to practice a profession consistent with evangelical principles. (This is the heart of the Association’s charisma.)
Anna Egidia Catenaro
Lawyer
consecrated
info@avvocaturainmissione.it
0039 3356380723