On Saturday, November 25, 2023, the Adventist Church in Legnano celebrated 90 years of presence in the area. The ceremony, overseen by Past. Marco Cannizzaro, was also attended by the mayor, Lorenzo Radice, and the public health councillor, Monica Berna Nasca.
"Despite our many commitments, we wanted to be there,” Radice began his speech. “You have been here for many years and the city thanks you for what you do.”
The mayor went on to emphasise how important the presence of different faiths in the community is, because of the values they carry. After quoting Article 3 of the Italian Constitution, which 'has a reference to human dignity', the mayor concluded by noting the inscription 'God is love' on the wall of the church.
"Beyond everything, knowing that we have a God who is love allows us to move and realise a society in which there is more love and more solidarity, and which gives everyone the chance to fulfill themselves," he said.
Origins
The first pioneer of the Adventist community in Legnano was Francesco Rimoldi, who led an entire family of seven brothers, the Prandi family, to conversion. He, thus, gave birth to a small group. He is also mentioned by Past. Giuseppe De Meo in his book ‘Granel di sale’ - grains of salt - (Claudiana, 1980), in which he recounts a century of Adventist Church history in Italy, from 1864 to 1964.
'The church in Legnano', writes De Meo on p. 143, 'came into being through the work of the former accountant Francesco Rimoldi, who, having accepted Adventism from Cambiaso, immediately devoted himself to colportage. There he found G. Prandi, a dynamic and persuasive man who never failed to speak of the Gospel. Shortly afterwards, Prandi was united in marriage with a former Bible reader who was a great help to him in his evangelising work. Rimoldi, however, found not only Mr Prandi, but also other people. In a short time, also because they were always visited by the pastors in Milan, they planned to organise this group of members in the church during the year 1931.
Over time, the Adventist community grew to about 80 members.
An example of solidarity activity
In its commitment to serving its neighbour, the church in Legnano once again took part in the food collection for the ‘Banco Alimentare’ (food bank) on November 18, 2023, on the occasion of World Food Day. It is an experience the church has been participating in for some years. In particular, this year, the Legnano church took on the responsibility as team leader for two local supermarkets.
Around 30 people took part, including church members and co-worker friends, not forgetting the pathfinders, who provided a lively note. The generosity was not long in coming. The team was grateful to everyone who got involved in this experience and made this special Saturday more enjoyable and fruitful.
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