Pontifical University
of the Holy Cross
Foundation

Interview by Gerardo Ferrara

The story of Carlo and Andrea is striking, as striking as encountering them in the hallways and staircases of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. In fact, I’ve known them for three years, and I still can’t tell who is Carlo and who is Andrea. Often, I find myself talking to one, thinking I’m addressing the other, but it’s something quite amusing.

So... Who are you? – I ask one of the two...

Carlo
Well, I’m Carlo! I’m 23 years old and completing my License degree in Theology with a specialization in Church History at the University of the Holy Cross.

Andrea
And I’m Andrea. We’re turning 24 in a few days. I’m finishing my License degree in Moral Theology. We’re very happy to share our story because telling your life story always becomes an opportunity to express gratitude!

The strength of these two young men lies in their ability to convey the joy of being brothers, friends, and Christians all at once because genuine faith in Jesus Christ is precisely this: brotherhood, joy, friendship, family, strength, and love. I encounter them at the Mass, which, like every day, takes place in our university chapel at noon, and as always, I mistakenly address Carlos thinking he is Andrea and vice versa. In the end, while taking some photos by the altar, where the Advent candles are placed, we decide to talk a bit about their story, just a few days before their birthdays. So, it is in these days, isn’t it?

Carlo
Yes, we were born on December 12, 1996, in Rome, a day when the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated. We were baptized in the Basilica of St. Peter by Cardinal Andrzej Maria Descur, a friend of St. John Paul II. We both feel very close to these figures. In fact, our names are the same as those of these two great friends and “twins” in the spiritual bond that united them, both consecrated to Mary: “Karol” and “Andrzej”.

What a fascinating story! So, you were born into a Catholic household...

Andrea
Yes, faith has always played a fundamental role in our family. And you know, a few months after our birth, in April 1997, along with our parents Francesco and Chiara, and our older siblings Veronica (4 years old) and Giuseppe (2 years old), we moved to Lourdes in France.

How come?

Andrea
Well, to answer this question, we need to take a little step back...

Carlo
The year before our birth, on May 31, 1995, our parents decided to follow Jesus in a radical way. They left various possessions and properties, their jobs, family, and the city (Legnano, near Milan) to join a prayer group and later the “Casa di Maria” community. This community had originated as a stable way of life from the same prayer group and had been established in Rome for a few years.

How did it happen?

Andrea
Well, it happened that in Medjugorje, a prayer group was born, founded and led by the same founders of the “Casa di Maria” community. This group emerged as a necessity to continue the experience that many young people, led by Rev. Giacomo Martinelli and Sister Nicoletta, had lived in Medjugorje: the encounter with Our Lady, which they perceived as a living presence!

And in the end, the same group and the newly formed community became something missionary...

Carlo
Yes, that’s right. That’s why our parents were sent to the Marian Sanctuary of Lourdes, where the mission of our Association is to accompany pilgrims to the Sanctuary. In that sacred place, Andrea and I attended primary school. These are the years when our parents and other families in the community, particularly Mauro and Grazia, Nedo and Paola, transmitted the gift of faith to us. In fact, during these years, we shared the same home with other families and children with whom we spent every moment of the day. Gradually, our family grew: with our biological siblings Nicoletta, who was born in 1999; then Michele, in 2001; and finally Maria in 2006. But we don’t just consider our biological siblings as brothers and sisters; we also see our spiritual siblings born into families in the community. All together in joy!

Absolutely amazing, for real: Church and family at the same time.

Andrea
Totally agree! And this first experience of the Church as a “family” became even stronger in Rome, where we lived during high school years. In Rome, along with our leaders, the “Sons and Daughters of the Cross,” and other young people, you can really sense a family life! The special, patient, fatherly, and motherly care from our founders helps us rediscover the value of the faith passed down by our parents: a faith based on a living and real encounter with Jesus and Mary.

Do you remember where and when this encounter took place for you?

Carlo
Of course, in Medjugorje! Also for us, the kids of what we might call the “second generation” of the community, the presence of Mary is so vivid that it has the power to deeply mark our lives. From there, my desire, as well as Andrea’s and other young people’s, was born to respond to Mary’s call by fully dedicating ourselves within the community. Each of us began, at different times, the discernment journey to enter the fraternity of the “Sons of the Cross.”

Andrea
Yes, it must be said that in Rome, we had the opportunity to continue the experience we lived in Medjugorje, alongside many friends whom we consider as brothers and sisters, just as we are siblings. With them, we shared our faith and daily life. These are the years that bound us in beautiful and profound connections. On February 2, 2016, we consecrated ourselves to Our Lady: a fundamental step to be part of the life of the “House of Mary.” This choice was ours, free and conscious, framed within the legacy of our parents but simultaneously personally affirmed.

And what convinced each of you in particular to make this decision?

Carlo
What most convinced and persuaded me to start the discernment journey to become a Son of the Cross was the example of many older boys and girls than me. They chose the path of total dedication with joy and enthusiasm as Sons and Daughters of the Cross. I am convinced that it is impossible to be faithful in the surrender to Christ with my own strength alone... but with the help of Mary, it is possible!

Andrea
Well, what led me more seriously and deeply to this vocational choice was not so much a speech or catechesis... No, it was being welcomed, cherished, and loved for who I am. My vocation matured over a whole year when I was 17. During this time, what struck me the most was this pure and grateful love I saw around me. It impelled me to want to consecrate myself to Our Lady and entrust my entire life to her. Undoubtedly, in Medjugorje, I had more experiences that strengthened this vocation.

The dimension of community, of belonging to a body of brothers and sisters united in Christ, is very strong in both of your testimonies.

Carlo
That’s right, our lives, mine and Andrea’s, are filled with gifts, signs, and testimonies. Certainly among them is the testimony of the “Daughters of the Cross” and the “Sons of the Cross,” and of many boys and girls slightly older than us who responded with joy in total dedication. We cannot fail to mention the offering of Cecilia, a girl from the community three years older than us, who passed away at the age of 16 due to cancer. Andrea and I had the grace of knowing Cecilia during the years we lived in Lourdes. Additionally, we spent some days with her in Fatima in December 2005. What joy it was to be with Cecilia! Everyone felt loved by her in a special way. For her, the greatest suffering was not being able to live in Rome with her friends. Cecilia considered us younger siblings, and this was evident in how she treated us and the advice she gave us, including her final farewell in July 2009 at the sanctuary of Betharram, near Lourdes.

It is very important that two guys like you share your testimony with us, especially because nowadays the eyes of many young people your age seem dim, lifeless, without hope, especially with the fear of the future, the uncertainty... And it’s also very important to add that we must be grateful for two very significant events in your life: the diaconal ordination, last May 13, 2022, on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, and the upcoming priestly ordination, in the spring of 2024, here in Rome.

Andrea
Yes, and many people, often people of our age, ask us, “Why did both of you choose this path?”. Well, the Lord who called us knows, and we are excited to respond to Him. Certainly, both of us have received so much and want to give so much! Our lives, like everyone else’s, are a gift and a mystery!

...And one can perceive that by listening to your testimony! Gratitude is an important part of your life.

Carlo
And how can we not be grateful? Of course, gratitude is necessary: first and foremost to Jesus and Mary, who became so present in our lives, particularly through our Founders and brothers and sisters of the “House of Mary”; and then to our University (classmates, professors, benefactors, and university staff) for the atmosphere we breathe and the opportunities provided to us in terms of education and formation. Together, we want to take this opportunity to wish our benefactors and everyone reading this interview a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!